The Runaway Bride
by A Cullen Wannabe
Summary: Only a week before the wedding of her dreams, Edward's bride has disappeared. Maid of Honor, Bella, and Edward have to go on a hunt to find his missing bride in the Caribbean, but nothing turns out to be exactly what either of them thought when they arrive. Will they find the bride in time to save their big wedding plans? Or does fate have other plans? (now complete)
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: By now you know the drill…all usual disclaimers apply. I own nothing, just having a bit of fun with Ms. Myers' characters!**

**I had this file on my computer and wanted to wait until I completed the fic before I started posting. Then life just got in the way. This is the first fic I've posted in well over a year. I've missed you guys and hope you enjoy it! Thank you to my pal A Good Witch for betaing for me! -ACW**

**O**

**Runaway Bride**

**Chapter 1**

Bella frowned at Mr. Brandon in confusion as he told them the news.

"It just doesn't make any sense. Why would Alice run off a week and a half before her wedding? She's spent the last year planning every last detail, making sure every dress, napkin, and flower petal was perfect. She wouldn't just disappear like this!"

She turned to Alice's fiancé who was watching her with those hard, cold, green eyes. "Edward, you know she wouldn't take off like this. She's worked too hard, waited too long! She's spent her whole life dreaming of this day…of marrying you. There has to be something else going on."

His eyes narrowed. "What, so you think I did something? You think I hurt her feelings or something so she left me here with a 300,000 dollar wedding to punish me? Despite your opinion of me, Bella, I would hope you'd give me more credit!"

"Oh get over yourself, Cullen." Bella said, rolling her eyes. "I wasn't even suggesting you did anything, though you seem to protest a bit much. Guilty conscience?"

He flipped her the bird. Bella sighed and moved to sit down next to him on the loveseat. "Listen, I'm just saying that there was to be some reason we just don't see or understand. Can you think of anything she mentioned lately that might help us figure this out?"

"All she's talked about since the engagement is the wedding and the honeymoon. She's been groaning lately about thinking we chose the wrong honeymoon destination."

Bella narrowed her eyes before realization struck her. She reached out to rest her hand on Edward's arm. "St. Barts?"

He glared at her hand and yanked his arm out from under her touch, shifting a little further away on the couch. "Yeah. I talked her into Bali instead, but she was still whining about some fancy hotel there that she's always wanted to stay at."

Bella smiled widely as she looked at Mr. Brandon. "I think I know where she is."

"I had a suspicion you would. I've already wired money into your account to go find her and bring her home."

"What?"

He laughed at Bella's deer in headlights expression. "If I go, it will all just become a fight. If you go, you can spend a couple of days on the beach with her, help her get this little excursion of hers out of her system, and bring her home before anybody ever knew she left."

"But Mr. Brandon—"

He held up his hand, cutting her off. "I don't want any arguments, Bella. You go pack your things. I'll have my assistant make your travel arrangements."

Edward stood up next to her. "I'm going too."

"Edward," Mr. Brandon said with a frown, "I really think you should let Bella go and do this. Women always reach out to each other in a language which is foreign to us men folk."

"No! I am going and that is the end of the discussion. I don't need your permission or anyone's for that matter," he said cutting his eyes over at Bella.

Bella sighed. "Whatever. Please just have your assistant call me with the flight information. I can be there in about an hour."

"Very good," Mr. Brandon said with a smile before turning his focus back on Edward. Bella didn't stick around to listen. She practically ran down the steps into the massive foyer and out the front door to her compact car parked in the circular drive. She'd taken the entire week off from work to help Alice with all of the last minute details. A few days on the beach with Alice sounded a lot better than being elbow deep in white organza bags of Jordan almonds.

As she circled the water fountain in the middle of the driveway, she caught sight of Edward in her rearview mirror, running his hand through his hair as he dashed toward his Aston Martin. She turned left out of the drive to go to her apartment. She needed to hurry up and pack, scrounge for her passport, and get to the airport. She saw the headlights behind her turn right to drive the quarter mile to Edward's parents' estate. She didn't relish the idea of making this trip with him, but at least this way she would be traveling with a seasoned tourist. Bella had gotten her passport five years ago, but still had no stamps within its bindings. She'd hoped someday that might change…she never expected it to be that day.

Bella was panting as she ran up the sidewalk. The rollers of her carryon bumped on the cracks and splashed in the puddles that had formed during the sudden downpour that hit just as she pulled up to her building and had not let up the entire drive to the airport. She felt like a drowned rat as she slid through the automatic sliding doors of the terminal. She shook the water off her arms and pushed her heavy hair out of her face as she looked around the massive space. She sighed when she saw him, glaring at her in that typical Edward way from beside the kiosk.

Edward hadn't always treated her like total crap. When they first met in college, he had actually been nice. At first, she thought maybe he was interested in her, but she had a boyfriend at the time, so nothing ever happened between them. Things didn't really change until she introduced him to her friend Alice at a study session second semester Freshman year. As things turned out, they had grown up together in the same neighborhood but had lost touch after Edward was sent to boarding school in early high school. Within a month, they were the newest 'it' couple and suddenly Bella fell from grace in his eyes. If he looked at her at all, it was with that cold, icy glare of his. She never really understood it, but after a while, all she could do was accept it.

"Good Lord," he said as she walked up. "Did you _walk _all the way from Westfield? You took forever!"

"Sorry," she sighed. "I had a hard time finding my suitcase and then I missed the shuttle from long term parking. I know I'm pushing it."

He sighed. "Just please tell me you don't have to check anything."

Bella shook her head.

"Good," he replied, taking her carry on. "Let's go."

Bella had to run to keep up with his fast, long strides. The lines at security were relatively short, thank goodness, and they managed to make it to the gate just in time for the last call. Edward grumbled the whole way down the concourse to the plane door. As soon as they were in, the flight attendant bolted the door behind them, urging them to hurry to their seats.

Edward stomped a few rows down and began tossing both of their bags into the overhead compartment. When he was done, he slammed it before looking at her with an impatient quirk of his brow.

"Waiting on an engraved invitation?"

Bella glanced around again at the wide seats with tons leg room, and high, comfy-looking backs. She'd only been on a few flights within the US, but she'd never even been on a plane that had a business class, much less gotten to sit in one.

She slid into the window seat and fumbled with the buckle. Edward watched her a bit before he sighed and opened the compartment over their seats again to dig in his bag. A few moments later, he tossed something in her lap and flopped into his own chair.

She picked up the gray piece of clothing, smiling at their college insignia printed across the chest.

"When we hit cruising altitude you can go to the lavatory and change into that so you won't be miserable the whole flight. It's going to be about six hours."

Bella folded the shirt and held it on her lap. "Thank you, Edward," she whispered just as the engines began to spin up. "That was very thoughtful."

She glanced up to see him staring at her. "Whatever. I didn't want to have to listen to your teeth chattering all day."

"Well, thanks anyway," she replied with a smirk before turning to look at the scenery slowly passing outside the window. Like a little kid on their first flight, she savored every moment, watching in awe as they sped down the runway, and defying gravity, lifted from the ground to soar higher and higher above the world.

"Beautiful," she breathed. She heard Edward chuckling behind her. Without a word, she stretched her hand out behind her to flip him off while keeping her eyes on the view outside the window. His laughter grew louder before he grew silent again.

Bella kept her eyes on the ground below until they sliced through the cloud cover and she could no longer see. She stared for a while at the tufts of white before finally turning away from the window. She jerked in surprise when she found herself looking into green eyes, but for once, they were twinkling.

"First flight?"

Bella shook her head. "No, but it's been a long time, and I never got to have the window seat."

He nodded with a crooked smile. A ding from above preceded a voice.

"This is your captain. We are now reaching cruising altitude. We have a tail wind and expect to reach St Maarten a little early. In the meantime, I am switching off the seatbelt sign. Feel free to move about the cabin if needed. Your friendly flight service team will be making their rounds soon for snack and drink service. Thank you for flying Continental Airlines."

Another ding accompanied the little seatbelt light extinguishing. Bella fumbled with her belt and excused herself as she passed Edward. The lavatory was small, but plenty roomy enough to remove her shirt. When she did, she noticed that her bra was soaked too. She used a few paper towels to try to dry it off, but without too much luck.

Finally, she gave up and slid the T-shirt over her head, laughing as it fit her more like a dress than a shirt. Her smile fell when she noticed the scent wafting off of it. It was heady and thick with sandalwood. She swallowed and pressed her lips together, trying to slow her heart. Stupid traitor heart.

Exiting the bathroom, Bella returned to her seat only to find Edward's seat repositioned so he was lying flat, a mask over his eyes, and earbuds in his ears. Clamoring over him was difficult, and she was surprised he didn't wake up. Finally, she managed to get to her seat, and settled in. She took the earbuds provided by the airlines and popped them in her ears, plugging them in so she could hear the audio that accompanied the onboard movie. She tried the music stations before finally deciding to settle in like Edward. Once they reached St. Maarten, they would have another small plane ride to St. Barts and then a rush to find Alice. She wasn't sure if they would get any sleep that night or not, so a snooze on the long plane ride seemed a smart alternative.

It took a while to figure out the seat, but once she was flat and comfortable, she rolled on her side, tucked her hands under her head, and soon felt herself drifting. She heard shifting beside her and squinted her eyes open to find Edward facing her, his features softened in sleep, the black mask having been lost somehow during his turn. She smiled at the curvature of his lip as it quirked in response to something he was dreaming. She had to admit, Edward was a nice looking guy. In fact, if she were completely honest, he looked even better now than he did Freshman year. Her heart sputtered again, making the smile fall off her face. _Stupid traitor heart._


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow! I didn't even realize how much I missed your comments! Thanks guys. I'm still working on going through and betaing, but as a special thanks for your words of encouragement for the new story, I'm going to go ahead and give you chapter 2 today! I'll post one or two chapters a week from here on out. This one is pretty short! Hope you enjoy the rest of the journey!**

**Chapter 2**

**Edward**

The puddle jumper from St. Maarten to St. Barts was rough. Bella was funny as hell as she held onto the arm rests with white knuckles, her eyes like silver dollars. Edward halfway expected her to kiss the tarmac when they landed in St. Barts.

The ride to the Eden Rock Hotel where they believed Alice was staying was nearly as frightening as the plane ride. When they arrived, Bella looked ready to collapse. Edward rolled his eyes at her, leaving her on a bench to go speak with the concierge on duty.

"Bonjour, Monsieur," the concierge greeted him.

"Bonjour. Parlez vous Englais?"

"Oui, sir, how might I help you today?"

Edward smiled. "I have come with my friend to find my fiancée, Alice Brandon. She's staying here and I'd like you to please call her room and tell her Bella Swan is here to see her."

The concierge frowned. "Monsieur, I'm am afraid she is not here. Ms. Brandon checked out early this morning."

"Did she say where she was going? Leave a forwarding address?"

The concierge shook his head. "No Monsieur, I was simply asked to book her travel accommodations. She left no message, nor informed us of her next port of call."

"She took a boat?"

The man blushed, recognizing that he had said too much. Above all, a concierge is supposed to protect the privacy of his guests.

"I promise not to tell anyone, but please, can you tell me how to reach the company she traveled with? We really need to reach her. A family emergency has arisen and we must find her."

The man frowned. "I really shouldn't."

"Please," Edward pleaded. "She'll never forgive herself if her father dies and she doesn't get to say goodbye. They are very close."

"Mon Dieu!" the concierge exclaimed. He mumbled to himself in French as he looked through a file. Yanking a slip of paper out of a clip before him, he scribbled down a name and number. "It was a private charter, monsieur. This is the only information I have."

Edward took the paper, folding it in half. "Merci beaucoup."

He looked out toward the harbor and sucked on his teeth as he noticed the sun nearly touching the horizon beyond. "It's getting late. Do you have any open accommodations?"

The man typed in his computer before smiling up at Edward. "Oui monsieur, in fact your fiancée's departure left us with the only available suite."

Edward frowned toward Bella before pulling his credit card out of his wallet and slapping it down on the counter. "Please tell me it has two beds."

The man took the card and scanned it, handing it back with a bright smile. "Non, unfortunately it only has one, but it does have a rather large bed and quite comfortable couch if necessary."

"Great," Edward mumbled as he took the two proffered keycards and stomped toward Bella.

"Come on," He said when he reached her. "Alice is already gone, but we were able to get her room for tonight. We'll make some calls and go after her in the morning."

"Left? Where did she go?"

Edward rolled his eyes. Bella was so naïve sometimes it was painful.

"Now, if I knew that would I need to make calls tonight?"

Bella shrugged, standing up to follow Edward down the sidewalk toward the room they would be sharing that night. His heart lurched as the smell of Alice's perfume hit him upon opening the door. He walked through, scanning the area, but there were no signs of her left behind aside from her token scent designed especially for her by her Father.

Bella gasped as they entered the amazing room with an open view of the ocean, lined with volcanic rock, wood, stucko, and limestone. She moved beyond him toward the window that overlooked the blue waters.

She walked back toward the bed, dragging her case behind her as she scanned the room. After a moment, she stopped and bent down to pick up a balled up piece of paper from the floor. She pulled it open and smoothed it along her leg before scanning the page.

"Edward," she gasped. "you have to read this!"

She passed the paper over to him. He read it and then read it again, anger and confusion warring within himself.

_Dear Daddy, _

_I'm sorry I didn't tell you before I left. I wanted to, but I just didn't know how. I need time to think. Please don't follow me. I promise to come back soon. I just need time on my own. Tell Edward and Bella I'm sorry._

_Love Always,_

_Alice_

"Excuse me," Edward whispered and dropped the letter on the couch before disappearing into the bathroom. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed the number he least wanted to dial. The phone rang and rang until her tiny, high pitched voice answered.

_This is Alice, you know what to do._

"Alice, Bella and I are in St. Barts. We found the letter for your Father. I don't understand, Allie, why are you doing this? I thought you wanted me … you wanted us. Please, just explain this to me! You know where to find me."

He hung up the phone and fought the urge to throw it against the marble wall. Collapsing on the toilet lid, he huffed a few times, running his hands through his hair and struggling for a little composure. After about ten minutes, he was mostly settled and had developed a sort of plan. Touching his phone again, he place a new call.

"It's Edward. She left before we arrived. She chartered a boat out of Gustav Harbor this morning. We have the name of the charter company. Can you do a little leg work for us? We'll charter our own boat in the morning if we can figure out where she might have asked him to take her."

"I'll get Mikelson on it right away. Have you ascertained why she's rebelling in this manner?"

Edward sighed. "No sir, but we found a letter she had written to you and had balled up and thrown away instead. It didn't have many answers other than that she needs time and space."

He heard Brandon sigh. "I'll call when I hear back from Mikelson. Call me if you learn more."

"Will do."

The line went dead. Edward sighed before getting up and going to the double sink to wash his face. He ran his wet hands through his hair and stared at his bloodshot eyes in the mirror as he leaned on the countertop. He wasn't sure when or how everything went wrong, but he needed to sort things out soon. He could handle a lot of things, but chaos and uncertainty were not amongst them.

Exiting the bathroom, he walked into the main living area to find Bella staring out at the now star-filled view of the ocean, the letter from Alice balanced upon her knee. She didn't look his way when he came out.

"I understand why she apologized to you in this letter, but why did she apologize to me?"

Edward shrugged, walking over to take the letter from her knee. He scanned the words again. "Maybe for all of the time and energy you spent helping her arrange a wedding that appears to be cancelled."

Bella looked up with sad eyes that shocked Edward. "Oh Edward, I'm sorry. I … are you okay? I just don't understand any of this. It makes no sense at all. This … this is NOT the Alice I know. I don't get it!"

He nodded and turned to look out toward the ocean if only to have something else to look at besides Bella's piteous gaze. "I couldn't tell you. I guess we'll both find out when we find her and make her face us."

Her stomach growled loudly making Edward smile. He turned toward her to see her cover it with her hand as she blushed ten shades of scarlet.

"Want to order room service?" He paused. "Or we could go eat in the restaurant. I hear it's quite delicious."

Bella frowned down at herself before glancing at her suitcase. "I don't know if I have anything nice enough to wear for a restaurant."

Edward's smile was crooked. "We need to get out of this room or we're going to go crazy and kill each other before the night is out. Brandon put enough money in your account to cover this and much more. Go buy something from the shop in the lobby."

"That doesn't feel right," she replied with a frown. "I'm supposed to use that money to find Alice, not shop."

"I know you don't know this, Swan, but for the wealthy, shopping is part of everything in life. That even includes a rescue mission. It's expected … trust me."

Bella argued for a while before finally relenting. Edward smiled as she stumbled out of the front door. He called the concierge to book the table and then waited. After a while, the number burning a hole in his pocket got the better of him. He dialed the number and frowned when he reached a recorded message.

"Thank you for contacting Whitlock Yachting and Charters. In business since 2009, we cater to all of your charter and yachting needs. Please leave a message for the Whitlock staff and we will do our best to make your dreams come true."

He hung up after the beep, but his mind kept churning. That name sounded very familiar, but Edward couldn't place where or how. The thought was pushed from his mind a few moments later when the door opened and Bella sauntered in making Edward's throat go dry. Half an hour ago, an awkward girl garbed in a knee-length tee shirt and faded jeans had left the room, and a stunning woman had returned in her place. A red dress and matching heels had somehow transformed Bella without the assistance of anything else. Suddenly Edward found himself regretting the entire idea of dinner.

"Is this okay? Do I look horrible? I wasn't sure I could pull off red. Maybe I should just go return it."

"No!" Edward blurted before he could resist. "No, you look wonderful. I just wasn't expecting it is all."

A sarcastic smile spread across her face. "Thanks a lot, Cullen."

He chuckled. "No, I didn't mean. Ugh! Just don't return the dress. It's perfect for the evening. We need to leave right away though or we'll miss our reservation."

"Don't I at least have time to put on a little makeup?"

Edward scoffed. "Trust me, you don't need it. Come on. Let's go."

He touched her elbow, guiding her toward the door. He swallowed hard as he watched the smooth silhouette of her back as she walked ahead of him. Suggesting she buy a new dress had been a very bad idea indeed.

**Bella**

They were seated immediately. A tall slender man sauntered up as soon as they were settled, presenting a wine list to Edward. He observed it before ordering, only turning to Bella after the waiter had left.

"I guess I should have asked first. You do like reds, right? If not we can request something else."

She waved him off. "No, no, I'll be fine. I'm sure you have a great eye for wine. Despite Alice's efforts to teach me otherwise, I'm not picky."

He nodded, looking down at the menu before looking up with a sardonic smile. "I can translate for you."

"No need," she replied, closing her menu.

"You know French?"

Bella smiled at the obvious surprise in his voice. "My mother was French Canadian. I was raised bi-lingual, not that I've had much chance to use it since she moved back to Canada when I was thirteen. I'm a little rusty, but I can hold my own."

Edward was impressed, something that didn't seem to happen all that often. Bella felt the thrill of success flutter in her stomach.

The waiter approached a moment later, pouring them each a glass of the burgundy liquid before asking if they were ready to order. Edward frowned back at his menu and gestured for Bella to order. When she was done she glanced back over at him, chuckling at the glazed look in his eyes.

"Et tu, monsieur?"

Edward shook his head a little before rattling off his order for salmon. The waiter nodded, taking their menus. Bella thanked him and watched him disappear behind a black door that swung both directions.

"You call that rusty?"

She turned back toward him with a smile. "Guess it's like a bicycle. I talk to my mom every few weeks, so maybe I'm not as rusty as I thought."

"Apparently," he mumbled and reached out to take a sip of his wine.

Bella did the same, humming at the soft smooth flavor. "I was right. You have great taste. This is wonderful."

He smirked. "Better than your ten dollar bottle of swill?"

Bella snorted making Edward shake his head. They sat in silence a few minutes. Bella occupied herself by gazing around at the elegant details of the restaurant. Beyond the hanging candelabras, huge windows gave a breathtaking view of the ocean and the night sky. She sighed at the beauty before looking back at Edward.

"Well I can give her one thing, this place is amazing. I've never been anywhere as beautiful as this. Just wish I could enjoy it more. I'm worried about Alice."

Edward mashed his lips together before leaning closer over the table. Bella frowned before leaning in, accepting the slip of paper he handed her.

"This is the company she chartered the boat from. This seems familiar but…"

Her heart hammered behind her chest as she stared down at the slip of paper. WHITLOCK YACHTING AND CHARTERS. A thin tan face, with baby blue eyes, and chin length curly blonde hair popped in Bella's head.

"Jasper," she whispered.

"Jasper?"

Her heart broke for Edward when she looked back up at him. "I'm not sure it's the same Whitlocks, but did Alice ever tell you about her high school boyfriend, Jasper Whitlock?"

Edward's eyes grew large and round. He whispered "Whitlock" just as the server appeared at the side of their table, putting two colorful salads down in front of them.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Bella**

The rest of the meal was tense and quiet.

"Edward," she said, hoping he would look up at her. He didn't.

"Edward, listen. This may just be a coincidence and even if it isn't, you don't know the whole story. Don't jump to conclusions. Wait until we find her."

The green of his eyes seemed to burn when his gaze snapped up to meet hers. "You mean wait until I see with my own eyes that she's dumping me at the altar for some suntanned beatnik with a boat? I'd rather not!"

Bella reached out for his hand, but the second she touched him he jerked away. "You're making assumptions. As I said, it might not even be the same Whitlock. And even if it is, that doesn't mean Alice is cheating on you. Innocent until proven guilty, Edward. You should know that better than anyone."

He rolled his eyes. "There's a lot of evidence, Swan."

"All circumstantial, counselor. If you went into court with this type of evidence on your docket, you know you'd lose. As a man, you feel affronted, but think of it from the perspective of the amazing lawyer you are. Let's seek out the truth in this."

He smirked at her. "Remind me again why you dropped out of law school, Swan."

Bella shrugged. "Wasn't my thing. I could have done it, and done it well, I think. Honestly, I was only really doing it for my Dad. I would have been miserable, so instead I chose happiness."

Edward stared at her as if she had grown a second head. "So you gave up what was almost certain to be a brilliant future in law because you didn't think you'd be _happy_? Are you insane? You turned all of that down for _Social Work?"_

"You say that like it's a dirty word. It's important work, Edward. Someone needs to look out for those children."

"But it doesn't pay shit!"

Bella pressed her lips together and sighed. Lifting her napkin from her lap, she laid it carefully over her plate and stood up.

"Money isn't everything, Edward Cullen. Maybe someday you'll learn that."

She walked away, leaving him staring at her retreating figure with a gaping mouth.

**Edward**

Edward watched her walk away. Even though she never laid a hand on him, he felt as if he had been punched in the gut, and he wasn't even sure why. She'd spent the last five years making the worst decisions ever, and yet somehow turned it around to make it sound like he was the idiot. He didn't understand her motivations, or her values. She was raised very differently from him. He'd spent his whole life hearing Carlisle Cullen tell him how he had to make something out of himself and make money so he can carry on the good name of Cullen or else he was a failure. Everything he had done … every achievement he'd made, it was all for the name of Cullen. He never even considered any other option.

He stayed to pay the bill then took a walk along the edge of the ocean. Was it really just two days ago that his life was neat and orderly? He'd gotten his law degree. He was on track for partner. He was engaged to marry the kind of girl his father always told him he should marry. She was pretty, intelligent, from a good family with money so she would know how to circulate in the right circles, and she was a nice girl too. On paper, she was the perfect wife for the perfect life he was supposed to have, just like his perfect father. Except there was no such thing as a perfect anything, as proven by his jackass of a father. He'd spent his whole life trying to emulate his father, but did he really want to end up like Carlisle Cullen?

He picked up a few rocks and tried to skip them across the surface of the water as it lapped upon the shore and thought about what Bella had said about happiness. He felt successful and in control, but did he feel happy? Was there really such a thing as _happy?_

His pocket vibrated. He yanked out the phone. "Cullen."

"This is Ben Mikaelson. Brandon told me to call you directly with the information I discovered. Whitlock Yachting and Charters is owned by Randall Whitlock. It is headquartered in the US Virgin Islands."

Edward felt a sense of relief as Ben talked.

"Thank you. Um, do you know if a Jasper Whitlock is employed there as well?"

He could hear papers flipping for a moment.

"Hmmm…oh yes. He is Randall's son and CFO. Apparently he also assists with some of the charters when they are short handed."

Edward felt ill. "Okay, thank you."

He started to hang up when he heard Ben in the earpiece. "Wait! Don't you want to know her port of call?"

"Sure," he sighed.

"According to official records they are heading for Cockburn Town on Grand Turk Island."

"Okay. Thanks for the information."

He hung up on the phone and flopped onto his ass in the sand, his phone hanging limply between his bent knees. Then slowly, he began to laugh. It started as a soft, chuckle, but grew more and more boisterous. He felt lots of things, but the most prominent was an overwhelming sense of relief.

By the time he made it back to the suite, Bella was curled up in the bed. He smiled a little as her snores filled the room. He'd forgotten that she snored. He'd only been in the same room with her while she slept once during their Freshman year. Alice had asked her over for a sleepover and he crashed the party. Bella was a good sport, then again, she always was pretty tolerant of his bullshit, well until he and Alice got serious. Then she got all uptight and bitchy. He never did really understand it, not that it mattered. He'd managed to end up with the girl his father would approve of after all. His crush on Bella had been misguided. Carlisle would never have accepted her. That's how he made his peace with it all at least.

Sitting on this side of things, he was starting to see things differently. That didn't mean much when Bella already hated him. He watched her for a little while before changing into his pajamas and curling up on the white sofa. It took an eternity but finally the roar of the surf combined with Bella's soft snores lulled him to sleep.

The bright sun shone through the glass wall and directly into Edward's face. He moaned and rolled toward the back of the couch, tossing his arm over his head to shield the rest of the brightness. A moment later, he heard the door open seconds before he was enveloped in the clean, simple scent that always surrounded Bella.

Lifting his head, he squinted toward the bathroom to see Bella step out in a white terrycloth robe, a huge fluffy towel wrapped around her head like a turban. In the sunlight, he could see she was flushed as she tiptoed to her suitcase, snatched out a handful of clothing and scurried back to the bathroom. The door closed quietly behind her.

Edward flopped onto his back and threw his arm over his eyes with a groan. The red dress had been bad enough, at least then he knew she had on underwear, but her current state of dress was way too distracting. He had seen the black bra that had dangled from the side of the pile as she rushed to return to the bathroom, which pretty much confirmed his suspicions about her state of dress beneath the Egyptian cotton robe.

Rasping his hands over his face, Edward let out a long frustrated growl. He let out one last sigh before swinging his legs over the side of the couch and sitting up. He rolled his neck back and forth and arched his back before reaching for his phone that was still in his pocket. He'd missed three calls.

He dialed and listened to his messages from three different employees of Brandon. The first, a woman, regretfully informed Edward that due to some festival in Nassau, most of the chartered boats in the area were already accounted for and thus she could not find him a vessel. She was going to keep looking and would also ask an associate to check into possible flight accommodations to the Turks, which would probably allow he and Miss Swan to beat Miss Brandon. Call two was from the associate mentioned by the first lady. She too was having issue finding them passage from St. Barts to Grand Turk. Most private charter planes were also already dedicated to Nassau and while there were multiple flights out of their area, none went straight to the Turks.

Associate three, a young male who sounded scared as hell, actually seemed to be the most helpful. The kid, who was probably a college intern, intimated that while they had discovered there was a ship available for rental, it did not currently have a captain. He also relayed concern for a tropical storm that was threatening to make its way down the coast from Northern Florida. Last reports showed it growing in intensity with the potential to reach hurricane status.

Edward pursed his lips as he flipped on the TV and surfed to the local weather channel. The kid was right, there was a storm just hitting the Jacksonville area but appeared to be moving very slowly. With a little luck, he and Bella could reach Grand Turk before it became a real issue. He studied the map a few more moments, examining the time lapse images of the storm as it moved along the coast.

He heard the bathroom door open again and found himself trying to ignore that Bella scent again as she stepped around the side of the couch to flop down next to him.

"Ew…that doesn't look good. We're really going to trust some charter in that?"

Edward looked over at her and paused to swallow as he caught sight of her in a dark blue T-shirt and jean shorts. Her long wet hair lay on her shoulder as she ran a long-tooth comb through it. He licked his lips and looked away as he nibbled them.

"Not exactly. Pack your things. We'll be casting off as soon as I'm showered."

"Wait. What do you mean not exactly?"

He grabbed his carry on off the floor and started toward the shower. "We're getting a boat, but we're going to captain it ourselves."

"What?" Bella yelped, jumping up to spin on him.

He looked over at her and smiled. "Relax, Swan. If there's anything my father actually managed to teach me, it was this. I'm a master."

He wanted to laugh at the fear on her face as he closed the door and placed the call to instruct the intern to make the appropriate arrangements, including supplies. As he showered, Edward thought back on his youth and the countless hours he'd spent on Carlisle's boat, _Blind Justice._ Carlisle was hard to please on any given day, but that was doubly so on a boat. Anytime they went out, he spent the entire time yelling at Edward over everything. Edward hated it with a passion, but he had to admit, by the time he was a teenager, he was able to captain any and every type of watercraft with the best of them. He'd cringed when Carlisle gifted him with his very own yacht upon graduation from law school, dreading everything that came with it. He soon learned, though, that without his father's ever present critical eye, he actually enjoyed the peace of the ocean. He started using his little piece of marine heaven to wine and dine clients and often spent his off hours on a peaceful sail up and down the coast. Of all of their modes of transport, this would by far be the best.

Finished showering, he toweled off and tossed on his boxers and jeans. He decided to hold off on his shirt until he could make sure the raggedy mop on top of his head was mostly dry, or else his shirt would be half wet before they ever even left the resort.

He walked out of the bathroom still scrubbing his head with one hand as he carried his case in the other. He tossed it on the bed next to Bella's packed case. He turned to get another look at the Doppler on the TV only to find himself staring at a blinking Bella. She blinked a few more times before her eyes got wide. She flushed red and spun toward the water. He smirked, glad he wasn't the only one who was having a few issues. Served her right, after all.

**Bella**

They checked out and accepted the courtesy car service to take them to the marina in Gustav Bay where their vessel awaited. Bella watched the scenery fly by the window. She was disappointed her time at St. Barts wasn't as grand as Mr. Brandon had envisaged. She'd actually liked the idea of a girl's weekend on the beach. Instead, she was now on a mad chase to catch Alice with the mercurial master of maritime travel.

Bella never realized just how much she didn't know about Edward before this trip. He was far more well-rounded than she ever gave him credit for. Then again, when you come from the kind of money Edward did, it was probably a lot easier to have a diversified knowledge base. Still, she could not imagine looking at the ocean and not even batting an eye at the vastness, especially in the face of a coming storm.

As they approached the marina, she stared at all of the boats bobbing in the harbor and swallowed. She hoped she wasn't making a huge mistake trusting Edward like this. Maybe she was too cautious, but sailing into a storm seemed more than a little foolhardy.

The car stopped at the end of a long wooden walkway. They both got out and tugged their cases from the trunk of the car. Edward tipped the driver before walking past her toward the dock. Bella stared at the water and the large ships lining the floating platform, her feet frozen.

Edward didn't even realize she wasn't with him until he looked over his shoulder to talk to her about fifteen feet out to see she wasn't there. He paused and turned toward her with a roll of his eyes before stalking back up to her.

"You're shitting me, right?"

For a moment, Bella looked away from the water to cut her eyes at him. "You know I never really got that expression."

He rolled his eyes again. "Come on, Swan. We need to cast off before the waters get too choppy."

Bella frowned and tensed again. "Yes, and I'd rather be safely on land when the storm hits, not bobbing in something that can sink! I've never even been on the sea before, much less…"

Edward frowned before reaching out to take her hand. "Bella, look at me."

She blinked a few times at the fiberglass hulls before looking up at him.

"I promise you that I know what I'm doing. I've spent a great deal of time at sea and in more than one storm. I would not go out there if I didn't truly believe that I could get us safely to Grand Turk. I promise you, I would never risk you like that. Can you trust me?"

Bella blinked at him a few times as he stared down at her. There was no sarcasm, no bitterness, none of the guile that usually accompanied demeanor when he addressed her. She took a deep breath and swallowed then nodded her head slowly.

He smiled a crooked Edward smile at her that made that stupid traitor heart do a brief cha-cha before grabbed her hand. He tugged her gently to coax her onto the wooden gangway that led down the row of boats. The vessels seemed to grow larger and larger the further out they got. Soon he pulled her to a medium sized boat where a man stood waiting.

"I thought you were going to captain?"

Edward smiled. "I am."

He pointed out in the distance where a large yacht floated by an anchor. Bella gasped making Edward laugh even harder.

"Still not sure how you've been friends with Alice for so long without expecting these things," he said as he led her to a seat and gestured for her to settle in. "Hold on tight, Swan."

The boat backed gently into the water and then with a loud roar dashed out into the ocean toward the boat that they would soon take to Grand Turk…just the two of them.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author's Note: A big thanks to my beta pal, A Good Witch for helping me catch my errors. Please know, I'm not a seafarer and know little about boating in the open sea beyond what I've seen in movies. I know some of you know far more than me…please excuse any errors with the next couple of chapters. Thanks again for all of the love, follows, and reviews! Hope you enjoy the next chapter! -ACW**_

**Chapter 4**

Bella sat on the velevety bench seat and stared at the luxury around her. One would think after almost ten years of hanging out with Alice she wouldn't be so surprised by this stuff, but this boat was ten times fancier than her home. She glanced around again at the fancy woods and crystal glasses secured in the cupboards before looking back at Edward.

She was trying really hard not to stare, but it was almost impossible because Edward…normally dour and cranky Edward Cullen…was _smiling. _Not only smiling, but beaming like a little boy on Christmas morning who just got the best present ever. The sun shone in through the huge windows that encircled the helm and bounced through his hair. The blonde and bronze highlights and lowlights in his hair shined making him look almost angelic. The sight was astounding.

When he looked over his shoulder at her, she looked away toward the galley. Her face was burning hot in embarrassment.

"So, is it as scary as you expected, Swan?"

"No. Actually it's pretty nice, but the storm hasn't hit yet either."

Edward chuckled, flipping something on the instrument panel before smiling back over his shoulder at her. "The storm is moving slowly down the coast and losing momentum. We only have about 500 knots to cover. I'm pushing her a little, so we should be there in about 18 hours as long as the weather holds out, which it looks like it will. With a little luck, the storm won't be more than a drizzle by the time we reach Cockburn Town."

"And why was it again that we didn't just fly? We could have gotten there about the same time they did and saved us the worry."

Edward's smile faltered, his typical scowl flickering above his eyes. "No commercial flights that didn't require a layover in Florida were available and all of the charter planes are in Nassau for a festival, as were most of the charters. We got lucky landing this beauty."

He caressed the helm, his brow smoothing again as his lips curled up at the corners.

Bella got up and walked toward him, weaving a bit as she did. She never really understood the idea of needing sea legs, but apparently, even in a big nice boat such as they were sailing, there was just enough of a list that it threw off her equilibrium. She shuffled up to lean against the frame on the other side of the cockpit area and gaze out at the sparkling water. There wasn't even a hint of any land anywhere near them.

Swallowing hard against the lump in her throat, Bella turned back to Edward.

"You look so happy here. Maybe you should have tossed the law degree to be a ship captain."

Edward rolled his eyes. "Carlisle would keel over where he stood at even the mention of that idea. Besides, don't you think it would take the fun out of it if I had to do it for a living?"

Bella shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not. Guess we'll never know."

Edward sighed, glancing down at a small rectangular screen and turning the wheel slightly. He made two more adjustments before nodding and locking a little device into place to keep the boat on course and then punched some buttons on the computerized board before him.

"Well, autopilot is set and we're in the open water, so we've got some time to relax. You getting ready for lunch yet?"

"Open water? As in the middle of the ocean?"

He laughed. "Not even close. Actually, we're going to be cutting just northeast of the British Virgin Islands, but we won't be close enough to see much of them. In about an hour or so, I'll have to maneuver us around some small island near them and then it's very nearly a straight shot through open waters to Grand Turk."

He walked away from the helm. Bella blinked at him then glanced at the helm before following him into the galley.

"So it's safe to just leave it like that?"

"It's not like we're on the interstate near other cars. I checked the radio and radar. We're out here on our own. I'll check to make sure we're still on course in a bit because I don't totally trust those computers, but yeah, we're safe. Come sit down. I'll toss us together some grub."

Bella slid into the bench behind the wood table and watched as Edward moved around the galley. His whole demeanor seemed different, no longer rigid and tense, but rather loose and relaxed. He cast an easy smile over his shoulder that took her back to Freshman year when Edward had been the sweet, cute guy who sat next to her in Econ.

"What's your condiment of choice? We've got mayo, mustard, ketchup, _Grey Poupon," _he said in a British accent that made her giggle. A dimple winked at her from his right cheek as he smiled back at her.

"Mayo Please."

"Lettuce and tomato?"

"Please."

A few more smooth moves later, he spun around with a plate in each hand. Both plates were heaped with some kind of pasta salad and two beautiful sandwiches piled high on some kind of fancy bread.

"Wow, Edward, you just keep surprising me today. This looks great."

He looked pleased as he picked up his sandwich and took a huge bite out of it. He rested his elbows on the table and glanced around with sparkling eyes, that same goofy smile on his face even has he chewed. As Bella watched him, she decided she liked Seaman Edward. It seemed the ocean was good for him. She hoped he made a habit of enjoying it more often.

They ate in companionable silence, but after a bit, some of the sheen seemed to dull as Edward's chewing grew slower. The next time he looked her way, his eyes were serious again. He swallowed and let loose a small sigh.

"Listen, Bella, I feel I owe you an apology for the stuff I said last night at dinner. I was an ass."

"It's okay, Edward. Really, it was no big-"

He cut her off with a hand on hers on top of the table. "No, Bella. I mean it." He paused and frowned, his lips pulling to the side before he licked them. "Do you ever hear stuff come out of your mouth and the second you say them you realize they aren't really your words at all, but rather something your parent would say? Like a kneejerk thing? And the moment you say it, you wish you hadn't because it's one of those things you really don't like about them and don't want to emulate, but it's just sort of _there?"_

Bella shrugged. "I guess. Not often, but there are times that I say something that sounds sort of Reneeish and I get annoyed."

Edward nodded. "Well what I said last night? That was Carlisle stealing my mouth and spouting his bullshit and I've heard it so long, lived it so long, it just flew out. I guess when you're born with a silver spoon in your mouth, you just can't imagine life any other way or choosing for life to be any other way."

He sort of trailed off, looking deep in thought and then shrugged again. "Anyway, I just wanted to tell you I was sorry."

Bella nodded. "Thank you, Edward. I appreciate it and accept."

His eyes flickered again with that little boy enthusiasm. He smiled and stood up. "Excuse me, please."

She watching him as he walked back up toward the helm and started pressing buttons again leaving Bella to wonder how much of this Carlisle version of Edward had dominated his life the last few years, and if that was part of what made liking him in recent years so difficult. At any rate, it was nice to see some of the boy she had liked so much returning to him. She thought he could use a lot more of this relaxed Edward in his life.

The rest of the day passed relatively peacefully. Edward stayed near the helm while Bella got brave and walked out on the bow of the ship. She sat on the deck with her knees drawn up to her chest and soaked in the sun and sea spray. Every time she would glance back toward the cockpit, she would catch Edward watching her. He would look away and she would blush and go back to watching the horizon.

After a while, the sun started to get to her, so Bella decided to go back inside. After a drink, Edward suggested she might want to grab a nap. If all went according to plan, they would be hitting Grand Turk in the wee hours of the morning, and rest wasn't a bad idea. Bella sat around in the lounge a while longer before deciding that Edward's idea was a good one. She let him know she was taking him up on his offer before disappearing below decks to curl up on the big queen size bed in the guest stateroom.

Time on the water was far more exhausting than she had expected. With a sigh, Bella drifted right off to sleep.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed before she woke again, but the calm seas she had drifted to sleep in had most definitely changed as the boat creaked and rocked. Bella sat up, her heart pounding and made her way toward the stairwell that led to the main deck and the helm. As her head cleared the floor, she gasped at the dark skies outside and the pounding rain. The bow tipped back, almost making Bella fall back down the stairwell before they tipped over the top of the swell and she was knocked onto her stomach.

"Oh My God! Edward, I thought you said it was dying?"

She scrambled to her feet and tried to walk up toward him, but another swell caused them to tip back. Bella lunged for the nearest tabletop and held on as they tipped forward.

"Yeah, well apparently I was wrong."

Bella stumbled up the last few feet and held onto the rail that ran along the back side of Edward's seat behind the wheel. His knuckles were white as he held on and turned it to steer them toward another swell. As far as she could see, there were swells behind swells all the way across the horizon. Some were small and some were huge, but thankfully, they seemed to be hitting only the medium sized one. The thought of going over some of the higher ones terrified her.

To the right a larger swell passed, blasting the windows on that side of the boat with water. Bella screamed and gripped the railing tighter.

"Calm down, Bella. It's okay. As long as I can keep us heading into the waves and our bilge pump keeps up with whatever we're taking in and doesn't flood the engine, we'll be fine. I just need to concentrate."

They went over another swell and Bella screamed. Edward grunted and adjusted the wheel again.

"If you're that scared, why don't you look under those benches there. There should be an emergency kit and life preservers. Put one on, hand one to me, and go through the kit to see what we have. Might be a good idea to add some canned food to the bag just in case."

While glad to have a task to occupy her mind, the thought that they would need such things was worrisome. She had no problem finding the supply kit. She secured the self inflating life preserver over her shoulder and latched the sides before moving behind Edward.

"I think I can get this on you while you're sailing if you don't mind."

He shook his head, focused on maneuvering them away from a larger swell. "Hold on. When I tell you, go ahead."

Bella swallowed and waited. When she got the OK, she leaned over the railing to slip the U shaped vinyl portion of Edward's head then reached down to his side where the grabbed the straps and clipped them on each side.

"There you go," she said, sliding back down and grabbing hold of the rail as they hit another larger swell. Unfortunately, she hadn't thought to secure the items in the emergency kit. They went sliding across the floor as they went up and slid back halfway when they came back down.

"What was that?" Edward's strained voice asked.

"Nevermind. You worry about those waves; I'll worry about the other stuff."

Sliding to the floor, Bella crawled on all fours to scoop up the supplies that had fallen and tucked them back in the bag that she hung around her neck. She held on as they braved the waves, grabbing some water bottles and a few other non perishables to toss in the bag. That taken care of, she had nothing left to do but go sit back by the bench and check on the raft and radios.

She yanked the batteries, relieved to see that the radios and flashlights seemed to be good to go. She secured them in the bag and on her belt and sat down behind Edward, watching the world rise and drop trying not to throw up, but her stomach was quickly losing the battle. She tried really hard not to yelp or scream so as not to distract Edward, but the storm was nothing short of terrifying.

They went on like that for almost an hour when a most unwelcome exclamation came from behind the helm.

"What the fuck? Oh shit! Damn it, NO! Not now!"

Edward yanked and tugged at the wheel but the boat didn't move as a big wave approached. Up to this point, Edward had driven then straight into the waves. Hitting them head on, they plowed right over them, but this time the wave sideswiped them tipping the whole cabin to the left and then to the right.

"What's wrong Edward?" Bella screeched and ducked when another wave hit them.

"For some reason we've lost our rudder. We have power, but no way to steer!"

"Oh God! What do we do?"

Edward turned to her with wide eyes. "Baton down the hatches and pray."


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Glad you guys are enjoying the drama. I hope it don't disappoint you with the few chapters to come. This is a shorter fic, and you are over half way there now. Hope you enjoy the rest. Big thanks to my beta A Good Witch and her attention the little things. Love ya babe!**

**Chapter 5**

**Edward**

Edward stayed by the wheel for a while communicating back and forth with the coast guard. Since they weren't injured they were a lower priority, but would be the first on the list once they got the injured to safety. Once he had done all he could to get them help, he moved back into the cabin where Bella was huddled on the floor in front of the bench where the emergency supplies had been stored. The inflatable life raft was gripped to her chest as she sniffed and let out the occasional squeak.

He settled down next to her and reached an arm around her shoulder. To his surprise, she curled into his side and gripped his shirt in her fist, letting loose a sob.

"I don't want to die, Edward. I don't even like water! I definitely don't want to die in it!"

Edward soothed her, rubbing her shoulder as he put his other hand over hers. "It's going to be okay, Bella. The coast guard is on its way. We have an emergency beacon, and thanks to you, a fully prepped emergency supply kit. We'll be alright, especially as long as the bilge pumps keep up. The swells are decreasing. It's almost over."

She sniffed and gripped his shirt tighter. The heat of her body so close to his was starting to get to him, but he did his best to ignore it. "What do we do if the bilge pumps go out? Or we get swamped?"

Edward sighed. "Would it make you feel better if we made a game plan?"

She nodded against his chest and then squeaked when a large swell sideswiped them. It was a big hit and the cabin leaned, slamming them into the side of the storage compartment/seating area before rocking them back toward the bar area. Edward dug his feet in to try to keep them from sliding as Bella started breathing harder, on the verge of hyperventilation.

"Ssshhh, it's okay, Bella. Calm down. It's going to be okay. Our worst case scenario, the boat gets hit by a big enough swell to roll us," Bella's whimper interrupted him. He ran a hand down her hair and tried to calm her some more. "If that happens, the cabin windows will break and we'll begin filling with water, but there will be air pockets. You get a lung full of air and then swim with all of your might out the window and up to the surface. When we get there, we inflate this raft you have a death grip on and try our best to ride out the rest of the storm."

"Yeah, because a raft will survive these waves so much better than this nice big boat."

Edward smiled at the sarcasm in her voice. It was good to know she wasn't so terrified that even that had escaped her.

"It'll be fine. That won't happen anyway. The storm is already calming. It won't be too much longer. You'll be just fine, sweetheart."

Bella glanced up at him with surprised eyes. She blinked a few times and then glanced down at her hand still gripping his shirt under his fingers. She released it as if it were on fire and sat back, putting a little distance between them.

Edward smiled sadly. The boat rocked again, but not enough to even hint at capsizing. Bella repositioned the raft on her lap and put her hand on the emergency kit and they both sat in silence.

"If it's any consolation, I'm sorry I put you in this mess." Edward shook his head and bit his lip as Bella looked over at him with wide eyes. "It was stupid to go out when this was even a remote possibility. It was irresponsible and I put your life at risk. For that I am truly sorry."

"Hey," Bella said reaching out to put a hand on his arm. "Don't do that. If the stupid rudder hadn't broken, you would have gotten through this no problem. You're pretty amazing with a boat. Actually, you're like a totally different person when you're boating. Kind of reminds me of back in college when we were friends."

Edward frowned at her. "Really?"

Bella laughed. "What, you forgot we were friends once?"

"No!" He said. "I just didn't realize that I'd changed so much since then."

"Really?" Bella responded with raised brows.

"Well, yeah."

She shook her head. "You're like night and day. Being on this boat today is the closest I've seen to that sweet guy who I enjoyed hanging out with. I don't know what happened, but right after you got with Alice you started getting pretty jerky."

"Me? You're the one that got all bitchy."

Bella's mouth dropped open. "Because you became to total cranky asshat!"

Edward's lips quirked. "Asshat? What the hell is an asshat?"

"You, ever since about mid sophomore year."

Edward chuckled and after a moment, Bella did too. Then a huge swell hit out of the blue, the cabin rocking at least forty degrees to port. Bella screamed and scrambled to Edward's side. When they tipped back to starboard, Edward braced his foot on the base of the table and held Bella to his side. When they came back they sloshed back and forth a couple more times before the rocking stopped, but even then, Bella continued to cling to Edward's chest, eyes cinched shut.

"It's okay. We're okay."

"No we're not. I'm gonna die. I'm not ready to die. There's too much I still want to do with my life."

Edward smoothed his hand down her hair. "You're going to do all of those things. I promise you, Swan. One way or another, I'm going to get us out of this."

He reached down to capture her chin and guide her to look at him. "I may be an asshat, as you call it, but have you ever known me to lie?"

Bella's teary eyes blinked once before she shook her head.

"Okay then, I PROMISE you, right now. I WILL find a way to get us out of this and then if you want I can help you do some of those things you want to do."

Bella pressed her lips together, her eyes bouncing between his before she finally nodded. "Okay."

She was so close and smelled so good. He didn't know what she wore, but it smelled nice. It wasn't an overly heavy scent that lingered for days like Alice's perfume, but instead it was light and unobtrusively floated near Bella. It was sweet and light and reminded him of summer.

The boat rocked again under a smaller swell that pushed Bella closer, her face hovering just inches away from Edwards. Her eyes widened again as both of their breathing grew a little harsher. Edward licked his lips and swallowed when he felt her breath tickle them slightly. He kept thinking she would lean away again, but she didn't. Just when he made up his mind to steal the kiss he wanted so desperately, another wave hit. It was a stronger one that tipped them far enough starboard to push them against the wooden side of the bench seat. Bella ducked her head and closed her eyes again. Edward sighed and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. When the boat regained equilibrium, he kissed the top of her head on impulse, but she didn't seem to notice.

"Now that things are calming down, I should try to the coast guard again for an update."

Bella nodded and scrambled over to allow him to get up. He felt her eyes on him as he crossed the radio and picked up the mic. The conversation wasn't full of good news. Though the storm was nearly passed, a ship from major cruise line had lost power in the maelstrom and was being evacuated. As they had power, supplies, and ample water, the coast guard would not be coming for them until they evacuated the thousand plus vacationers to the nearest large island. The soonest they might see help would be morning.

Another swell rocked the boat a good deal, making Bella gasp again.

"I can't sleep below decks, Edward. I'd be too afraid we might capsize and I'd be trapped."

Edward smiled. "That okay, scaredy Swan. If you want, we can sleep up here on the floor of the lounge. I can run down and grab some pillows and blankets for us. We'll camp out old school."

"You thinking rush week '02?"

"What else would I be thinking of?" He asked with a wink before disappearing down the stairs to the cabins below.

A few minutes later, he returned with pillows and blankets as well as Bella's suitcase and his own. They worked together to make a couple of pallets on the floor. They stayed up until the last of the big swells were gone and they were left with nothing more than the gentle rocking, which always came with life on a boat.

Just before they fell asleep, Edward turned toward Bella in the dark and watched her shift on her little pallet. "Hey Swan," he saw her look his way in the moonlight, which was now shining after the clouds had dissipated. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry I became an asshat. Next time I start that up; you bust my balls for it, okay?"

"You sure?"

He smiled. "Positive."

There was a pause. "Can I have that in writing?"

Their laughs filled the cabin, washing away the tension of the night.

Edward was far more comfortable than he should have been when he woke to the deep toot of a horn. He opened his eyes to find a mop of brown hair in his face. She shifted and whimpered as Edward tensed. He carefully pulled his arm back from across her waist and rolled away from her back where he had been cuddled up. He swallowed and adjusted the front of his pants before standing up and moving to the door of the deck. Behind them, a Coast Guard rescue craft waited to tow them back to shore.

Edward waved and turned back to see Bella sitting up. She looked up at him with guilty eyes before standing up and grabbing her things to disappear below decks. He sighed and moved to pick up the rest of the bedding before slipping on his shoes and going out on deck to speak with the officer who just boarded their vessel.

Within the hour, Bella and Edward were aboard the Coast Guard vessel watching as they towed the broken yacht to the nearest port. Unfortunately, that was not their intended destination, but rather, northern Dominican Republic.

"So close, yet so far away," Edward mumbled as they disembarked the coast guard vessel. He pulled out his phone and started making phone calls to get transport to cover the 128 nautical miles they had yet to travel.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Sorry this took so long. I injured my shoulder last weekend. It has been one long, not fun week. Finally feeling better again and felt like trying to post. I also got a review that they were directed this way by The Lemonade Stand. Thanks ladies for getting the word out! A big thanks to my beta A Good Witch. She's working on betaing the last chapter, so we're really close to being done. HOpe you enjoy the chapter!**

**Chapter 6**

**Bella**

Bella couldn't seem to keep eye contact with Edward after waking up in his arms that morning. She had woken up almost half an hour before the coast guard arrived. At first, she had been startled to feel the warmth of Edward curled behind her, his nose buried in her hair. She was even more startled by how the closeness made her feel. She should never have indulged in the experience, but she just couldn't bring herself to move. She couldn't stand to let go of the daydream for the short time it lasted.

Now though, with the light of day and their re-entry to the real world, she felt like the worst friend ever. Yeah, she could justify all day long that Alice had run off and was sailing around with an old flame, but that didn't really matter to Bella. Until Alice and Edward spoke and settled things for certain, she had absolutely no business being that intimate with him…or daydreaming the things she had before the bull horn broke the moment.

She fidgeted with her clothes and hair as they sat in the cabin of the Coast Guard vessel and then wandered around the base once they arrived at their destination. Edward hardly looked at her as he paced with his satellite phone plastered to his ear and barked out frustrated commands. With a sigh, Bella moved to sit under a nearby lamp post and watch his feet as they crossed back and forth before her.

He was on his fifth call when a young man in a jumpsuit ran up. "Are you the Americans looking for a way to get to Grand Turk?"

Edward continued his pacing as Bella nodded.

"Alright! Well it's your lucky day. I'm taking off in a few moments. I'd be happy to escort you."

"Really?" Bella replied with a smile.

"Why not?"

Edward cursed and hung up the phone. For a moment, Bella thought he was going to throw it, but then he stopped himself and shoved it in his pocket.

"Hey, Edward," She called. He looked at her with a frown. "Seems that fate is in your favor. This kind man has just offered to shuttle us."

"Yeah?" Edward replied and a few minutes later, they were dragging their things behind them, following the man in the jumpsuit.

"Jeez, Swan, you look more freaked out than you did in the storm. What's wrong now?"

Bella sat ramrod straight in her seat and white knuckled the metal support beside her. She was on the verge of hyperventilating.

"Bella? Are you really freaking out this bad?" Laughter was in his voice and it ticked Bella off. How dare he tease her?

"Edward," she growled between pants. "This isn't like a fixed wing. You can't glide a chopper. You lose your engine and you're falling straight down. Do you know the statistics of surviving a chopper crash at sea?"

"No, and I don't want to." He reached out and took the hand closest to him. He pried her fingers free of the metal frame and wrapped it in his. "This is going to be okay. You are going to be okay. I promise."

Bella raised a brow making him laugh.

"Okay, so I might have been cocky last time I said that, but do you know how many hours these Coast Guard pilots log a week in these things? You couldn't find a more experienced pilot if you tried. And if something does go wrong, there's nobody who would know better how to manage it. Just squeeze my hand until it's over."

Bella looked down at his long, tanned fingers. She tightened her grip on his experimentally and her heart shuddered as he responded by squeezing back. She looked back up to see his green eyes trained on her.

"I'm here, Bella. You're going to be fine."

Bella sucked in a breath as the pilot flipped a few switches and the long blades began to spin to life with a loud roar. Through the headphones, she heard the pilot speaking to them. Edward responded, but never looked away from her. The flight was relatively short and the entire time he never looked away and never let go.

"Know what this reminds me of?" Edward finally asked after they were out over the water.

Bella shook her head.

"That time we went to that amusement park north of the city and you about had a coronary when we made you ride the Kamikaze. I held your hand the whole time."

She blinked at him and then swallowed hard. It seemed like a million years ago that they had been such good friends…that he didn't act like he hated her 99% of the time. He cocked his eyebrow at her, making her realize she never responded. She cleared her throat and smiled a little.

"The ride was named for suicide pilots. Why in the world should someone _not_ be scared of a ride that implies a self chosen death sentence?"

Shaking his head, he clucked his tongue. "Oh Swan. Always an excuse for everything. You're going to excuse yourself right out of your life if you keep up this way."

She blinked back at him and frowned, wondering if he was right.

Soon their headphone crackled and the pilot spoke to them. "Five minutes to Grand Turk."

"Thank you," Edward responded and squeezed Bella's hand again. "It'll be fine, Bella."

Bella came so close to hyperventilating during the landing that she thought she might pass out. Edward spoke to her through their headsets, reassuring her till the last second that she was going to be fine. Bella knew it was a lie though. Even once they landed safely, she was never going to be fine again. The plane ride had been very brief, but during that short time, a switch had flipped inside of her…a switch that had no business being flipped while Edward and Alice were still officially engaged.

Edward held her hand until the helicopter safely landed and the pilot said it was safe to depart. The pilot got out and opened the door while Edward unbuckled his harness and ordered Bella to do the same. He slid out of the plane with grace before turning around and holding his arms out to Bella. Her heart pounded as he grasped her waist and helped her to the ground.

"Um, thank you," She mumbled.

He smiled down at her. "Anytime, Swan."

They thanked the pilot who walked off to deal with his business and Edward got back on his phone. Half an hour later, they were in a swanky town car being driven on a narrow road toward a property owned by the Whitlock family.

"Welcome to the Whitlock Inn and Suites. I am Iselda. Do you have a reservation?"

"No," Edward said, the softer side from the plane ride now completely gone. "I am Edward Cullen and I am looking for Alice Brandon and Jasper Whitlock."

Iselda frowned. "I do not know an Alice Brandon, but Mr. Whitlock and his girlfriend sailed out just after the storm with his Aunt and Uncle who own this hotel."

"Was there anyone else with them?"

She frowned again. "No sir. Just Mr. Jasper and Miss Mary. They were collecting the Whitlocks to take them back to Whitlock Headquarters on St. Croix."

Bella's heart broke for Edward as she watched his shoulders slump. "Thank you. Do you know if there are any helicopters or boats for hire at the moment?"

Iselda opened a laptop and began typing. After a moment, she looked back up. "It seems there's only one vessel available in the area at the moment. It's one of Whitlock's older vessels, but she's a good one, sir. Would you like me to book it?"

Bella could hear Edward's teeth grind as his jaw flexed. He growled his reply.

"Yes. Please let them know we wish to set sail immediately."

"Absolutely sir. They will meet you at the main docks on the North end of the island."

"Thank you," Edward spat out before turning and storming through the front door.

Bella cast Iselda an apologetic look. "Thank you. Have a good day."

"Thank you, Miss, and good luck."

Edward's car door slammed just as Bella got out on the porch. She rushed to join him and sat in silence during the car ride while Edward steamed next to her, fisting his pants in his white-knuckled hands.

He paid the driver and stormed up the dock. The ship's captain awaiting them greeted them happily. Edward barked some orders at him and then banged his way through the cabin and into the bowels of the boat where the state rooms had to be. Bella felt bad for the poor guy. It wasn't as if any of this mess was his fault.

"Please ignore my friend's rude behavior. He just found out some really painful news. We got caught in this last storm, so please make this as smooth a trip as you can. I don't think my heart can survive another terror like that."

The captain laughed, tossing his head back. He was a very handsome man, tall, blonde, blue eyes, and very tan. Bella wondered if he might not be another Whitlock relative. They certainly had a lot of traits in common…except the Australian accent that accompanied his reply.

"That was a might scary alright. I promise ya, darl, I'll float her like a feather on a calm lake all the way to headquarters. Should be right on time, too. I was actually beginning to think I might have to leave you. Six hours later and we'd be in danger of missing the ceremony."

Bella frowned. "What ceremony?"

"Why, Jasper and Mary's wedding, of course. Isn't that why you're here? She said you were all set to be her maid of honor."

"Excuse me?" Bella blurted. She looked around with wide eyes, relieved to find Edward was still below decks and unaware of what she was just now learning. "Listen, don't mention any of this to Edward. I'm not sure what Alice is up to, but she's got a lot of explaining to do!"

"Aye miss. Well, you'll get to ask her yourself in a few short hours. Go settle in and I'll cast us off."

Bella went inside and did her best to avoid Edward. She stayed in her stateroom for as long as she could stand it then emerged. She had to sneak past the bar area where Edward sat guzzling some wine and carefully worked her way to the front of the boat where a small inset seating area waited near the bow. The sun was setting and the view was amazing…if only she could appreciate it.

She hated having to keep secrets, but she hated even worse having to bear bad news. She also didn't understand what in the hell Alice was playing at. It sickened her that her best friend could do something like this. It made her feel like she didn't know her at all, which just hurt her even worse.

The sea spray was cool as it came up over the bow, occasionally misting her in salty moisture. The sun disappeared and a beautiful smattering of stars sparkled overhead. The moon rose along the horizon big and full. It was so beautiful it stole her breath. In that moment, the world felt so peaceful and inspiring. It made her want to get out a paint set and create a mural, or write a song, or write a novel…if only she had any of those talents.

She was just considering trying to learn to paint just to recreate the moment when she heard the scuffle of feet.

"There you are!" Edward crowed more than a little too loud. In his hand, a half drunk bottle of wine dangled precariously. He shuffled up, plopped down in the seat next to her, and offered her the bottle.

Bella stared at it a moment before shrugging. She took the neck of the bottle and lifted it to her lips, guzzling the numbing alcohol. Edward whistled next to her as she continued to glug down the sweet, expensive liquid.

"Damn Swan. I knew you had talents, but…" he shook his head and took back the bottle to take a big swig of his own.

"It's over, you know. I have to find her and have 'the talk' and then I get to go home to face all of our friends and family while she stays down here and gallivants around in her little dream world with captain beach bum."

She just nodded.

"Please tell me you get it, because I don't. Why would she do this to me?"

She shook her head. "I really don't get it either. This isn't like the Alice I know. She's not this hurtful. I don't understand any of this. There still has to be a piece of the puzzle I'm missing."

"What other piece could there be? Seriously, Swan, sometimes you give people way more credit than they deserve!"

Bella just nodded. Maybe he was right. She wasn't sure she knew anything about anyone anymore. Everything seemed like a farce, and she couldn't wait for the world to turn right side up again so she could know who to trust and who to be wary around.

Edward melted back on the bench and lifted his arm over his eye. "You want to hear the really fucked up part? Part of me is relieved. I love Alice…I do…but…"

"You don't love her the way you're supposed to?"

"No. I don't think I do. I'm an ass for saying that after all this time. I thought what we had was what a marriage was supposed to be based on. I mean look at my example. But sometimes I get glimpses of more…"

He stared at Bella making her stomach start doing somersaults. She agonized if she should tell him what she knew, or keep her mouth shut. The worst part was, she wanted to keep her mouth shut less for the purpose of sparing his feelings, as to give them a chance to see what he might do if she didn't. That made her feel worse than anything. More than anything else, she never wanted to be that person.

"If that's the case, maybe Alice did you a favor."

He shot her a roguish smile that made her toes curl.

"But," she continued, "you owe it to yourself to tie up those ends. Just because Alice appears to be putting her feelings above everyone else, doesn't mean you should do the same. Don't make yourself a cheater too. Go face her and sort things out once and for all. You do that and your slate will be wiped clean to start all over again."

"Do you really think I can, Bella? I mean…start all over again."

She smiled. "Of course you can, and I'll stand right there with you if you want me to. I don't think anybody should face stuff like this alone."

He reached out to place his hand on her leg. His eyes looked almost emerald in the moonlight as he stared at her. "You would be the first place I would want to start over anyway."

Bella blushed and nodded before excusing herself to go lay down in her state room. She felt his eyes burning her to the bone as she walked away. It took all the will power she could muster not to turn around and fall right back into his arms. It would be the biggest mistake ever to do before he dealt with his Alice baggage, but that didn't make it any less tempting.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Well you're finally finding out what the heck Alice was up to in this chapter. One more after this (where we will FINALLY earn that M rating) and the epi and then we're done. The epi is still with my wonderful beta, A Good Witch, who I need to thank again for helping me sort out my rough patches. Also a big shout out to all of you who made your way over from TLS (The Lemonade Stand) where Runaway Bride was featured this week. If you get a chance, I'd appreciate it if you'd pop over and vote for this fic and maybe it will end up being featured in a review! Thanks again for all of your great support. I'd missed this even more than I knew! **

**Chapter 7**

**Edward**

Edward's head was still fuzzy as he departed the boat and made his way up the docks. Bella had been avoiding him ever since the helicopter flight, with the exception of their blurry little conversation the night before. He was pretty sure he must have hit on her by the way she was acting. Those should have been the least of his worries. The fact that it wasn't was probably more telling than his reactions to everything thus far.

Bella stomped ahead of him on the gangway, her head held high and her shoulders squared. To be honest, she looked like she was ready to do the confronting instead of him. Surely, he didn't piss her off that much. He was relatively certain that they just had a conversation about his asshatty relief in Alice running off and then just a little flirting before she left. He knew her well enough to know that wouldn't piss her off like that, so he'd have to figure out later what he'd done and kiss her ass from here to Seattle and back to make up for it. Of all the people he might lose in this whole debacle, Bella was the last one he wanted to see disappear.

A car waited in the parking lot and Bella slid right in, folding her arms and staring ahead of her. She tensed when he slid into the seat next to her, making Edward wonder what the hell he had done that he just couldn't remember. Once the car was in motion, Bella's stone mask crumbled as she looked toward him.

"Listen, I…Just…Ugh! I just want you to know going in here today that I didn't know about any of this stuff she was pulling when we came down here. I swear."

Edward frowned and reached out to rest a hand on her elbow. "I know that, Bella."

Bella nodded just as they pulled up to a lavish white building that looked as if it had been transplanted straight off a Georgia plantation. White columns lined the front portico and supported a long balcony overhead. The balcony and columns were all draped with boughs of flowering hibiscus that filled the air with the flower's powerful scent and fluffy white tulle.

Edward stood up and stared at it all with a sigh. There was no more hiding. This was all real and it was time to face the truth. He glanced back at Bella. Her face held a mix of compassion and apology. Edward nodded slowly before turning to walk into the building and face the inevitable.

**Bella**

Bella paced as she waited for Edward to emerge from the white mansion draped with the most obvious wedding decorations ever. He knew going in exactly what he was facing, but she couldn't help but feel bad that she hadn't given him more of a heads up. Arms crossed, she paced and paused to stare at the door before pacing again. It seemed like forever before Edward stormed out of the house and down the stairs toward the beach behind her. As he passed, he didn't even look at her.

"She's waiting to talk to you. If you need me, I'll be out there." He pointed toward the surf and kept marching.

"Are you okay, Edward?" She called out to his back. He shook his head and waved his hand dismissively toward the building. She watched him for a few beats longer before turning to walk up the white stone steps.

When she stepped inside it was like a whole other world with staff bustling around in hurried stress. Bella stepped past the room full of white chairs facing an arch covered in white roses and greenery. The roses and greenery stretched from the bottom of the arch to cascade down the steps up to the little platform and down the aisle to line either side of the lane Alice would soon walk down. It was so incredibly different from the wedding she had helped Alice plan back home, yet very Alice. Bella knew the time and energy it took to arrange such elaborate plans. There was no way Alice had pulled this together without months of preparation. Why would she ever do all of that prep work for a wedding she obviously knew she wasn't going to actually have? It made no sense, but more than that, it made Bella angrier and angrier with each passing second.

She stormed to the bottom of the stairs and grabbed the first service staff person she could find. "Where is the bride's dressing room?"

The small dark haired girl pointed timidly toward the second floor. "Door with flower glass."

Bella nodded and turned to stomp up the stairs. She rounded the landing and reached the second floor, seeing the flowering mosaic of glass on the ornate double doors that led to a room. Bella knocked abruptly when she reached it, trying to steel herself for what she was about to see and not having much luck. The door opened and there stood a somber-looking Alice decked out in the most beautiful white ball gown style dress with thousands of tiny crystals embroidered along the fitted bodice and long sheer sleeves that clung to her slender arms. She looked every bit an angel. Behind her, Mr. Brandon sat in a chair decked out in a perfectly pressed tuxedo.

"Will you excuse us, please, Daddy?"

Mr. Brandon smiled sadly at Alice and nodded before standing up to cross the room. He paused when he got to Bella and smiled down at her with twinkling eyes. "You were always like another daughter, Bella. I was happy to do it for you."

He chuckled at Bella's bewildered expression. "Mary Alice will explain it all, dear." With that, he kissed her head and left the room, closing the door behind him with a muted click.

Bella stared at the place where he had just left before turning back toward Alice. "I feel like I'm losing my mind, Ali. What the hell is going on?"

"I'm sorry it had to be like this, but I knew I had to fix things before I married Jasper. I could never be happy if I didn't make things right."

Bella lifted her hand to her head and massaged her forehead. "You've lost me again, Alice. Why don't you try starting at the beginning?"

"Sure. Here. Sit down and have a glass of wine while I try to explain."

Bella let her lead her to the long white couch Mr. Brandon had just been inhabiting and poured a glass of wine for Bella before handing it over.

"Things weren't supposed to be like this, Bella. I was never meant to get between the two of you and I'm sorry for that. If I'd seen it sooner, I could have changed things, and then I thought that fate had changed due to my decisions. It wasn't until Jasper and I reconnected that I realized I should have ended things and let fate take its course long ago. I ruined so much for you, so I had to make it up to you."

"By breaking Edward's heart and planning a wedding you never intended to have? That makes no sense, Alice."

Alice smiled her bright knowing smile at Bella that almost always meant something freaky was supposed to happen. Alice had an uncanny ability to predict the strangest events around her and she was never wrong.

"When was the last time you saw me wear or decorate using anything purple? When was the last time I mentioned liking Calla Lilies? Have you ever known me to like cap sleeves?"

Bella blinked in confusion at Alice. "Then why choose them?"

"_I didn't."_ She said with a Cheshire cat-like smile.

"I did," Bella whispered. "You asked me my opinion and you always did whatever I suggested. I thought you just liked my ideas."

"Oh, I did! You created a beautiful, perfect wedding. It's so you, Bella. Every accent, every color and scent, it's all you. It's yours if you want it."

"What do you want me to do with a wedding? You're making no sense!"

Alice's smile widened. "Why use it to marry your soul mate, of course, you silly! If I hadn't have let myself fall back into the easy way out with Edward after Jasper, the two of you would have been married years ago and probably had a baby or two by now. You and Edward…you're perfect for each other. I'm sorry I got in the way of that, and by the time I realized how bad the damage was, it was almost too late. You two had drifted so far apart…If I'd just broken it off with Edward and done things the way I really should have, I knew you'd never find one another again. I had to throw you two together and make you push past all the walls you both had put up. I saw it in his eyes the second he walked in here, though. It worked!"

Bella shook her head as she stared at her insane friend for a long time. "You're bat shit crazy!" She tossed back the glass and guzzled the entire thing. "This whole thing…you're nuts! I can't marry a man I could barely be in the same room with up until this past week! He can't…you can't…WE can't…this is insane."

Alice stood up, walked over to sit next to Bella, and took her hand. "Love is insane, Bella. Don't over-think…just FEEL. Trust me," she tapped her temple with her finger. "I KNOW this is right. Follow your heart and it will take you to your happily ever after."

Bella shook off Alice's hand and stood up. "You're not the person I thought you were, Alice Brandon. This game you're playing is cold and mean. Do me a favor and lose my number. Good luck with your future here. Poor Jasper is going to need it!"

Bella slammed open the door and dashed out into the hall. She tried to ignore Alice's words as she stormed down the stairs.

"You say that now, but someday you'll understand. By your fifth anniversary we will be best friends again, and I already forgive you!"

Bella flipped Bridezilla: Psychotic Edition off as she sprinted through the foyer to the front door and sprinted down the steps toward the beach.

She looked left and right as she ran, finally spotting Edward about a quarter of a mile up the beach, his shoes off and sitting on the sand beside him as he buried his feet in the sand. Bella was out of breath by the time she reached him. She panted as she settled onto the sand beside him.

"Are you okay, Edward? I'm…I'm so sorry about all of this. I promise you, I had no idea. She's lost her mind! Did she tell you what she did?"

Edward just sat there like a statue.

"Edward?"

When he turned toward her, his eyes were watery.

"Did she tell you everything?" He asked.

Bella shifted her body to face him, her legs crossed between them as she reached out to take his hand on top of his knee.

"Yeah. I don't know what she was thinking! I mean, can you imagine? We would kill each other before the ink dried on the license…which we don't actually have so it wouldn't be legal anyway."

Edward cocked his head slightly and stared at Bella's hands on his. He flipped his hand and twined his fingers with hers. "You really think so?" He finally whispered.

"Don't you?"

He looked back up at her again and Bella's breath caught. She knew those eyes…missed those eyes. They weren't full of anger and disdain. They weren't even full of concern and care as they had been in the chopper. No, this was HER Edward, the one she had fallen in love with in college, the one that disappeared about that same time that they began drifting apart after he got with Alice. This was the Edward that was her best friend when she had no others. The one that held her hand as she stumbled her way through her first year of college. That held her hair the first time she ever got drunk and puked her guts out all night at a party. That stayed up all night before their very first finals, drilling her with her note cards until she knew them inside and out. This was the Edward she knew and had once loved…the Edward she knew she could easily love again.

"No, Bella, I don't."

In a move so quick, she barely had time to think, Edward leaned forward and captured her face in his hands to pull her closer, capturing her lips with his own. She was stiff for the first few seconds, her hands clutching his forearms in shock, before the warmth of his touch pushed past the cold shell of surprise. Bella hummed and melted a little into his embrace. The pleasurable feelings pulsing through her as their lips moved together was overwhelming and more mind blowing than any she'd felt before.

She shifted closer, her hands smoothing up his arms to his hair where her fingers curled and pulled him closer. Edward's hands slid from her face to find her waist, pulling her closer still as his mouth opened to hers. She immediately responded by opening her own and flicking her tongue across his lower lip.

Edward moaned and pulled her with him to lay on the sand, her torso stretched above his as their legs tangled. They kissed for several more delicious minutes before the need for more air forced them apart. They panted and stared at each other in bewilderment before Edward reached up to push some of her hair behind her ear.

"I missed you so much."

"This is probably a big mistake you know? I don't want to be some rebound girl."

Edward's smile made her heart skip a beat. "I've spent the last ten years with the rebound girl. You're no rebound."

"So where do we go from here?"

He smiled crookedly. "I say we go home."

"And the wedding?"

He kissed her lips softly and pulled her up to sit next to him again. "We have a very long plane ride to discuss that…if you want."

Bella swallowed hard. "If you want."

He stood up and reached his hand down for her. He pulled her up to stand in front of him. "I definitely want." The look in his eye made it unclear if he was talking about the wedding or something else entirely, but at least they were in a place to sort out the truth regardless.

Bella just nodded and then smiled as he leaned back down to kiss her again. He took her hand and led her down the beach. They were almost to the car when Bella glanced up. "Is it wrong that we're in this place less than an hour after you found out your fiancee is marrying someone else?"

Edward lifted her hand and kissed it. "Probably, but wrong never felt so right."

Bella giggled and blushed before letting Edward open the door for her. Together, they climbed back into the car that had brought them from the docks.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: Big thanks to my beta A Good Witch for all her work. The epi came back to me this week, so here's the last regular chapter and the epi will go up some day next week. Hope you enjoy how things come to fruition. Thanks so much for your encouragement.**

Chapter 8

The smell of flowers engulfed them as they stood under the arch embracing as they kissed passionately. Edward released her lips and smiled as Bella beamed back up at him. She was so beautiful and he couldn't find himself able to accept that she was his now.

"I've loved you so long. I never thought we would be here."

She tipped up on her toes to capture his lips again before pulling back to whisper against his lips. "Me either, but if I were honest I'm more looking forward to what comes after this." She glanced to the left to look across the room before pulling back with a sigh.

"You know, I hate that we are wasting all of this. I wish I knew some sweet broke couple who needed an amazing wedding we could give this to. It breaks my heart, but I think we made the right decision."

"Yeah," he sighed, looking around the room too. "You really did plan a beautiful wedding though. I love everything you did here. I should have known right there that something was up. I HATE Alice's style as a general rule. I don't know why I ever thought that marriage with her would work. I was deluded."

"Well, with Carlisle on your case and whispering in your ear, it's no wonder. Why is your father such a world class asshat, anyway?"

Edward shrugged with a smirk. "Don't know and quite honestly couldn't care less in the mood I'm in."

He grabbed Bella's waist and tugged her so their bodies melded as he captured her lips again. He felt his lower half react as she moaned into his mouth. He backed her against the side of the flower woven arbor and trapped her between it and himself. Her moan turned into a whimper as he ground himself against her. She shifted her hips a little and released a higher pitched whine.

Edward smiled against her lips before leaving them to make his way down her neck. Her chest heaved as she panted and he didn't want to stop. He wanted so much more. His fingers moved up a little to grasp at the bottom of her shirt and slide below. Her skin was warm and soft against his thumbs as he brushed them along her waist before drifting up to skim across her chest.

Bella reached up to grab the wrung of the arbor behind her as her breathing hitched. "Edward," she gasped as he kissed down toward her cleavage, determined to put his mouth where his fingers were. "Edward, stop! What if someone walks in?"

Edward chuckled against her skin. "Nobody's going to touch this room with a ten foot pole for at least another hour, I guarantee you."

"Still…I don't think I can enjoy it if I'm too worried about it."

Edward sighed and rested his forehead against her collarbone as he pulled her soft shirt back down and anchored his hands on her hips again, pulling back to put a little space between their bottom halves. She was right. Plus, after all this time, he knew they needed to take their time to cherish each other, not go at it like two dogs in heat, even if that was what he felt like. He'd never dreamed he would get this chance and now that he had it…had her…he couldn't get enough. He wanted to touch her body and taste her lips and skin every moment he could. It was like a drug…one that he knew that if he ever tasted he would never get enough and boy was he ever right!

"Sorry. Sorry. I just…"

"I know," she whispered in reply as she ran her hands through his hair in a soothing manner. "Come on, boyfriend, let's stop moping around here! Your Mom wants you to come see her so she can make sure you're okay."

He looked up and smirked at her. "I can think of at least five things I would much rather do than go see my Mom." Bella blushed making him chuckle. He reached over her shoulder to pluck one of the blooms from the arbor behind her. He pushed her hair behind her ear and tucked it in to hold it in place. "It would have been a beautiful ceremony, you know."

She sighed as she turned and looked at the adorned room once more. "I know, but I want to get married in our timing, once we've spent time together and make all the plans ourselves. It never would have felt right to have our wedding dictated by Alice, even if it would have still been wonderful and happy. Someday, maybe."

He smirked. "Try someday definitely if I have any say in the matter." He captured her lips in a soft peck. He gestured toward the unity candle set on the pedestal. The faceted crystal base and matching candlesticks had once belonged to Bella's parents and she was determined to make sure it got back where it belonged. "Well, let's get what we came for and get going. The sooner we get to Mom's the sooner we can finally have some alone time."

She rolled her eyes and smirked. "One track mind, I tell ya. I sure hope you don't think I'm that easy."

He gave her a dirty look that made her laugh. "It's taken me ten years to make it to first base, Bella. I wouldn't call that easy."

Bella nodded with a wink before carefully lifting the base with the ornate pillar candle on top and nodded toward the candlesticks, which Edward handled as if the slightest breath would disintegrate them. He followed her down the aisle past the rows and rows of chairs adorned with flower garland occasionally punctuated by tall flower entwined candelabras. _Someday, _he told himself. _Someday soon._

~0~

Esme met them at the door, ushering them inside with a squeal. Edward's heart soared as he watched his mother fawn over Bella. She'd always had a soft spot for her. Across the room, not even bothering to rise from his wingback chair, sat Carlisle. He scowled at them over his glass of brandy, legs crossed. Edward stared back. For the first time in a very long time, his father's disapproval didn't bother him at all.

Edward didn't look away until his mother left Bella's arms to touch his arm. He turned to face her, his heart aching at the compassion in his mother's eyes.

"How are you, Edward? I can't believe how Alice treated you! Yes, you came out the other side a winner as you have returned with our Bella at your side, but that doesn't stop the betrayal from stinging."

Edward opened his mouth to speak when Carlisle interrupted from across the room. "A real man wouldn't stand for such humiliation. A real man would have stayed and demanded Alice uphold the verbal contract she made when she agreed to marry him. A real man would not have slunk back home with anything less than the prize he was promised."

Edward turned toward his father. The anger inside him bubbled up as he fisted his hands. He could feel his nostrils flaring with every breath. "No, _Carlisle, _a real man makes his own life decision instead of letting his father make them for him. A real man claims the woman he's loved for half his life regardless of what others may or may not think or whether she can or cannot help him advance his career. A real man isn't afraid to love people and allow himself to be loved. I am not your puppet, and I am not your servant. I say what happens in my life. Not you."

"Insolent little bastard, you owe everything to me!"

Edward's heart grew threefold within his chest as he heard the voice to his left interrupt his father.

"Oh shut the hell up! You're not the one who earned his degree with honors. You're not the one who worked 80 hour weeks to make his way through the ranks at his law firm. You're not the one who taught him how to be kind and caring and loving. You just taught him how to be a corporate stooge, your little minion. He's not a yesman. He's not something for you to control. He's an amazing man with an amazing heart and you need to stop being an asshole and see him for the amazing person that he is!"

"And who the hell do you think you are? You come from nothing! From Nowhere! You don't know how the world works or what it takes to be a true success in life."

Bella took two steps forward to stand right in front of him, hands on her hips. "I am the woman that loves him, no matter what. I am someone who recognizes that there is more to life than money and power. I am someone determined to make a difference in the world no matter what sacrifice it might take, because when my time on earth is done, the money I made will just disappear, but if I make a difference then I have left a legacy in each and every life I touch. I live, and I love, and I care. What are you leaving behind, Carlisle? Can you name one thing that will be here when you are gone that can't be taken away by the fall of the stock market or a few poorly fought cases? Have you don't anything that can't be sold to the highest bidder and gone forever if someone chose to do so? Look around you! You have so much to be happy about, but all I see is hate and bitterness. WAKE UP and hold on to the things that matter now before it's too late!"

Carlisle looked like he was ready to explode. His hand clenched as if he was going to hit Bella. Before he thought of what he was doing, Edward stepped forward, pulling Bella behind him, his own fist balled to strike. Carlisle lifted his hand when between them slid Esme, her back to Edward. She reached up and captured Carlisle's face in her hands.

"Carlisle, stop this! No more, do you hear me? Please, my love, stop."

Carlisle's eyes left Edward to drift down to Esme, the tightness in his features smoothing as she reached on hand out to grasp his fist while the other remained on his face. He let her guide his fist to her face where she kissed his knuckles softly.

"Don't let yourself become Anthony. You swore to me when we were young that you would never become your father, and yet time after time you repeat his mistakes. You did the best you could with Edward. You tried so hard not to be like him, and yet here you are having the same argument you had with your father thirty years ago, except now you are in his shoes. Don't let it end the same way, Carlisle. Please."

Carlisle's breathing started to change. His blank expression melted into one of despair as he leaned his forehead against his wife's. Edward stood frozen as he tried to process what he'd just learned. He never knew much about his grandfather. He'd never considered his own father's past and where he had developed the ideas that he had about life and success. His father never really let him behind the mask. He'd never seen his father smile. Never seen his father laugh. And definitely never seen his father cry, yet there he stood sobbing as he leaned upon his mother.

"Shhh, it's okay, my love. It's okay," Esme crooned as Carlisle leaned on her more.

It was long time before he looked up again. He looked at Edward with alien eyes, red and puffy and still laced with tears. "All I ever wanted was what was best for you. My father disowned me after I rebelled from him. Your mother and I started with nothing but a good name and I worked to build all of this for you. I wanted you to start out on top. I wanted you to start with the right connections so you wouldn't have to fight and scrape to get where you needed to be. I knew a marriage to Alice would make that easier."

Edward stared at him for a long time before looking down at the woman between them who had moved to hug her husband's chest. He tightened his hand on Bella's which was still in his and tugged her to his side. He let go of her hand to hug her close, taking her other hand in his as he clasped her shoulder.

"Yes, but what really made you a success? Would your connections have made life bearable without Mom? Would your life be worth it without that kind of love? What would my life be if I didn't have someone like Mom at my side as you had?"

Carlisle looked down at Esme's head still resting upon his chest and kissed her slowly graying chestnut hair. "Very good point, Son." When he looked back up again he smiled at the sight of Edward and Bella.

"I have to say one thing for you, young lady. You have a lot more spunk than I ever realized."

Bella blushed and hugged herself tighter to Edward's side. "Yeah, well, I sort of have a protective streak when it comes to those I love."

"That's not a bad trait. Not a bad trait at all."

The night devolved from there into a quiet night in the sitting room. The ladies drank wine while the men nursed crystal glasses of brandy while Edward and Bella retold their entire journey across the Caribbean.

After a lot of laughs and more than one set of tears, Edward and Bella said goodnight and made their way out to Edward's car. He turned to her with a smirk. "So, your place or mine?"

Bella pondered for a moment before turning back to Edward with a crooked smile. "I have a better idea."

Forty minutes later, they both laughed between kisses as Edward carried her aboard his yacht and disappeared below decks to the cushy comfort of his own private cabin. He sat her on her feet and captured her face between his hands. He smiled at her as he stared into her eyes before slowly leaning in to brush her lips with his. Bella sighed and melted into his arms, her hands sliding around his back.

Soft, delicate kisses quickly grew hungry as the space between them vanished. Their bodies melted together as if they were two parts of a whole finally united after a lifetime apart. Every piece of her lined up with his, ratcheting up the intensity of their caresses.

Bella started the mad dash to disrobe by gripping the front of Edward's button up shirt and tugging hard at the fabric, pulling it from his pants before popping the button at his waist. Edward moaned into her mouth as she pulled down the zipper, brushing his very insistent hardness all the way down. Moments later her shirt was ripped over her head and lost to the floor of the room somewhere behind him.

The room was filled with moans and whimpers as Edward laid her on the bed and explored her body with his hands as he slowly moved down her soft, creamy flesh, kissing every inch he could reach. He was intoxicated by the way her scent seemed to fill him up and drive him wild for more. He'd relished in the sounds she'd made as he'd laved at her breasts, but that was nothing in comparison to the deep, delicious groans she made as he licked and sucked her to orgasm. As her climax began to fade, she tugged his hair, guiding him up her body where she kissed him deeply and squirmed beneath him.

He pulled back as their lower bodies aligned and looked into her brown eyes full of lust, adoration, and above all love.

"I love you so much, Bella Swan. I always have and I always will."

Their gazes remained locked as he pushed into her for the first time. It was the warmest heaven imaginable. Bella reached up and caressed his face as he rested against her, fully seated inside her and filling her with the most delicious sense of completion.

"I love you, Edward Cullen. I love you so much!"

She pulled him back down to kiss him as she arched her back and rotated her hips. They kissed as the slowly moved against each other for a long time before the power of lust and instinct took over adding urgency and power to their movements. They both cried out loud and hoarse as they fell together into oblivion.

They lay together in a naked tangle of limbs, both deliciously exhausted as they stared into each other's eyes, but unwilling to let the minute fade. They spent the rest of the night alternating between long languid sessions of lovemaking broken by quiet, contented rests in each other's arms. The break of dawn did not even interrupt them. They stretched their first night together as long as their bodies would let them until they could no longer fight the sleep they so desperately needed and found in each other's arms.


	9. Epilogue

**Author's Note: Well, this is it my friends…the end of Bella and Edward's voyage (as far as we are concerned). I want to send a big thanks out to all of you who read, reviewed, recced, etc. It means so much! A massive thanks to my beta, A Good Witch, for her work cleaning up the story. Love ya babe! I also want to send a thought out to my neighbors in Washington, IL. My family was fortunate to be safe from the majority of the damage, but many friends and friends of friends suffered major losses. Our thoughts and prayers are with you! Anyway, hope you enjoy this final tasty morsel of sailorward and his soul mate.**

**Epilogue**

Bella looked herself in the mirror as she struggled to fix the curls that had fallen from her updo. The dangling earrings were making it a little harder than it might have been otherwise. Thankfully, she was still in her robe. She was pretty sure that she wouldn't even be able to come close to reaching her hair once her gown was on.

Esme walked in with a chuckle. Bella was growling orders for her hair to behave as she attempted to replace one of the gem adorned pins that had escaped and made matters worse as she fidgeted. Bella met her eyes in the mirror and grimaced.

"Help! _Please!"_

Esme laughed a little louder before nodding and stepping up beside Bella to swiftly affix her wayward hair. She leaned back with a sigh before lightly kissing the top of Bella's head. "Absolutely beautiful! Would you like me to help you get into your dress now?"

"Yes please," Bella whispered. She looked at her reflection one more time, gulping down her nerves before standing up to get dressed. The gown she had chosen was simple yet so beautiful. There were no gaudy jewels or embellishments aside from the layer of lace that covered her arms and chest over the satin silhouette that hugged her body. While the front covered her modestly, the scalloped edge of the back plunged deeply to end in an inverted heart shape right at waist height. She had been reluctant to go through the trouble of having a gown designed, but both Esme and Edward had insisted and looking at her reflection in the mirror, she was grateful for it was every bit Bella from the bottom hem to the collarbone high neckline. More than anything, she was excited for Edward to see her in it. She had been very careful not to allow him to see her before she came down the aisle.

Esme walked around her adjusting here and there before reaching the top of the dresser to take the small strand of pearls with the single sapphire pendant and affix it around Bella's neck. The pearls had been Esme's mother's while the sapphire had belonged to Bella's. Esme had the two combined especially for the event. The combination was her something old, borrowed, and blue all in one lovely adornment. Her dress more than adequately covered the something new, and thus she was set.

Esme handed her the small bouquet of white roses and stepped back to observe her in all her bridal glory with tears in her eyes.

"Oh Bella," she sniffled, "you look like an angel! I'm so happy that you're going to be my daughter in less than an hour!"

Bella fought the tears that threatened her make up as she returned Esme's sentiments. A moment later a knock at the door revealed Carlisle who had come to collect Esme to be seated upon the main deck of the massive yacht rented for the main event. He paused when he caught sight of Bella and blinked at her a few times in owlish surprise before a wide smile broke out across his face.

"Well, my dear girl, you look every inch the goddess my son deserves." He crossed the cabin to hug her gently as not to wrinkle her gown before reaching for Esme. "I shall return presently, as soon as I have deposited my wife in her designated seat."

"Thank you, Carlisle," she said in little more than a whisper. "Is…is Edward doing okay?"

Carlisle rolled his eyes. "Well he's definitely free from any jitters if that's your concern…at least not of the fearful kind. He's rather more like a kid on Christmas, chomping at the bit to open all of his presents."

Bella smiled at that, her muscles relaxing slightly under her skin. "Me too."

He winked in acknowledgement before guiding Esme out into the narrow hallway. Bella closed her eyes and took in several slow, deep breaths. She was excited to marry Edward, but the ceremony itself had her terrified. The vows were easy for she'd felt them in her heart for ages…it was more the being on display and walking around in her precarious shoes in front of all of the guests that had her terrified. This wedding was much smaller than the insane event Alice and she had planned a little over a year before, but there were still people she didn't know amongst the 150 guests who had all flown all the way to Hawaii to witness their union. The rented yacht would house the ceremony and reception after which they would be ushered from the party yacht to Edward's private yacht to depart for a two month honeymoon sailing the Hawaiian Islands and Australia before returning home to start their lives as husband and wife. Bella couldn't wait for the nerve wracking ceremony to be over so the real fun could start.

She sighed as her thoughts drifted back to Alice. They had both found some level of forgiveness for her in the face of their happiness. She hadn't been entirely wrong. Nobody would have been happy if she and Edward had gone through with their marriage of convenience. She went about executing her plans all wrong, but once the pain of her betrayal faded a bit, they could see her overall intention, however manipulative and psychotic. She wasn't invited to attend the wedding, let alone be Bella's maid of honor as she had always envisioned. It was a decision she and Edward had agreed upon together and it had been the right one, but standing there in her dress, holding her flowers, without Alice at her side pricked her ever so slightly. She missed her friend. Things could never be as they once were. Alice's actions had forever damaged any relationship they might have…but maybe someday they could salvage something…maybe.

Another knock at the door revealed Bella's father dressed to the nines in his tux. She smiled at him as he gazed at her with watery eyes.

"Wow, Bella, you look like a million bucks!"

"Now the gown didn't cost _that _much, Dad!" They both chuckled as Renee pushed in behind him, jabbering away as she made over Bella. Bella smiled and nodded, casting furtive glances at her father from time to time. He wore a sad smile as he watched them. Bella knew he missed Renee. He had loved her very much and never really moved on after she left. Bella wished that someday he might find someone to complement him the way she and Edward complemented one another.

The conversation was brief; however, as another knock at the door soon warned it was time for Renee to take her place for the procession to begin. There would be no big parades of countless friends to create a massive wedding party. In fact, there was not even a maid of honor or best man. Instead, Carlisle, Esme, would stand up with Edward while Renee and Charlie would stand up for Bella. Some might think it strange, but Edward and Bella agreed that tradition didn't matter. All that mattered was what they had felt they wanted.

Charlie and Bella climbed the stairs from the staterooms to the open main deck. Guests were seated in rows along the sunny wooden space with an aisle down the middle for the wedding party to walk up. Edward and Esme were still working their way toward the front as "What a Wonderful World" played. Carlisle and Renee were poised to begin making their way up the aisle behind them while Bella and Charlie waited their turn.

When Edward and Esme reached the small stage at the front, upon which an arch filled with the same flowers Bella had chosen for the original ceremony awaited them, he kissed his mother's cheek and then turned toward Bella, freezing as he caught sight of her. He blinked a few times in a slight daze before a warm, sweet smile filled his face. He mouthed "I love you." Bella blushed and mouthed it back just as the song changed and Adele's "Make You Feel My Love" began to play. Her father leaned over to whisper in her ear.

"Ready?"

Bella looked up at Edward and smiled. "Definitely."

They took slow measured steps up the aisle. Bella and Edward never broke gazes the entire way. When they reached the front, Edward stepped down to Bella and Charlie. Charlie kissed Bella on the cheek and then shook Edward's hand before taking Bella's hand and putting it in Edward's and moving to stand on Bella's side of the stage beside a sobbing Renee. Edward lifted Bella's hand and kissed the back before helping her up the steps to the stage to stand before the minister.

As they let the last bit of the song to wrap up they stood smiling at each other, hands clasped between them. "You look more beautiful than I even imagined. I love you so much."

Bella blushed and lowered her gaze before looking up at him through her lashes. "I feel like the luckiest woman alive."

He stroked her cheek and smiled. "And I'm the luckiest man alive."

The minister cleared his throat and they both glanced at him in apology. Edward nodded at him before looking back at Bella. He took the hint and began the ceremony with his usual words of greeting.

The ceremony continued its non-traditional feel as the couple opted for alternatives for nearly everything. Instead of a unity candle, they opted for unity sand, which they poured together in a Tiffany vase to keep on their mantel in their livingroom from that day on. They wrote their own vows, but instead of their being spoken loudly for everyone to hear, they huddled close and whispered them to one another as they gazed into each other's eyes, the covenant between them not a show for their friends and loved ones, but rather an honest to God promise between just the two of them. The photographer worked feverishly to catch as many perfect shots as possible from around the room because there would be no perfectly posed and faked shots after the wedding. No fake smiles and forced propriety. Their love would be preserved forever in precious snapshots of time, and not a moment of their day wasted.

The ring exchange was the only traditional portion of the service, after which the bride and groom kissed passionately on the stage. Once they were satisfied that the other was thoroughly kissed, they moved immediately to the middle of the dance floor at the other end of the deck for their first dance as husband and wife. Their first dance was followed by no less than five more before they even bothered to greet their guests. Some were offended, but most accepted Carlisle and Esme's explanation with wistful sighs. Bella and Edward agreed from the beginning that their wedding day was about the solidifying of their union and everything else took a far second seat.

Eventually Bella looked up at Edward and smiled. "This has been the most perfect day ever. Thank you."

He smiled before leaning down to kiss her nose. "Agreed."

"I think we've been rude long enough though," she said with a sigh. "It's time to start the dinner and greet our guests."

Edward sighed. "I guess…If we have to."

Bella chuckled. "Hey, Mister. I only have about ten people here tops for me. The rest of these folks are here to see you. Time to go play host."

Edward kissed Bella one more time before motioning for Charlie to come take his place. He blushed, but dutifully made his way forward to wrap awkward hands around Bella. They rocked slowly for a few moments before Charlie leaned back to look into her eyes.

"Are you happy, Bells?"

Bella sighed. "Oh Dad, I've never been happier in my whole life."

His eyes twinkled as he smiled down at her. "That's all I need to know." He paused and frowned for a second before glancing down at her feet. "You've been dancing forever. Aren't your feet tired?"

Bella smiled. "Too happy to notice, I guess. I feel like I'm walking on clouds."

Charlie laughed and kissed her head before pulling her close again. "You enjoy that feeling, baby girl. You deserve it!"

Edward returned shortly afterward to take Bella back and lead her to their table, which had been erected on the stage where they had stood for the ceremony. Once they were seated, he stood up and raised his wine glass, tapping the side to get everyone's attention before lifting a microphone from the middle of the table to speak.

"Excuse me, but I would like to make a toast to my wife."

Bella's cheeks grew pink but her smile was radiant.

"My life has been a long journey to this point and at one point along the way, eleven years ago this week, in fact, I met this amazing woman sitting beside me. It took all of five seconds before she became the best friend I ever had, but then I did something very stupid and pushed her away. It was a long ten years without her by my side and a lot of nearly catastrophic mistakes before she and I somehow found our way back to each other. A misguided friend with a very misguided idea led us on a crazy journey that ultimately succeeded in its own strange way and led us back to each other. As much as I hated that friend for a time, I've come to realize that she gave me the greatest gift of all…a second chance at happiness. I am going to spend every day of the rest of my life making sure that I never lose that happiness again. Thank you, Bella, for giving me the life I always dreamed and yet nearly gave up. I love you, so much!"

The crowd went wild with applause as Bella stood up and grabbed Edward's face to pull him down for a passionate kiss. After a few seconds, she let him go so they could finally drink to his toast and then took the microphone for herself.

"Our life has been a whirlwind of ups and down, ins and outs, but I promise you, Edward that from this day on we will ride that insane rollercoaster together. I've never been more grateful for anything than for your return to my life and I am going to spend every day of the rest of your lives doing my best to make you feel happy and cherished. I love you!"

Again, they kissed as their guests cheered and everyone drank. They deck fell into a lull of quiet discussion as the food was served and the evening progressed. Edward and Bella made the rounds together as they thanked everyone for coming. Soon the evening grew later and it was time for them to retire from the wedding yacht to Edward's private yacht to begin their month long honeymoon. The guests cheered and blew bubbles as the newlyweds said goodbye to their parents and crossed the gangplank situated between the two vessels.

They stood on the back deck and waved as their hired captain for the voyage sped them away from the wedding boat into darker and quieter waters in a small cove around the edge of the island. The small staff that would be serving them on the trip checked in to inform Edward that everything he had requested was in order. Once he was informed, they took one of the small boats to shore for the next two nights in order to give Edward and Bella total privacy to enjoy the first 48 hours of marriage before the extended voyage began.

Edward led Bella to the lounge area where candle light and soft music awaited them. She sighed as he took her in his arms again and began trailing kisses down her neck.

"So, was it everything you wanted it to be?" He whispered as he nibbled her ear.

She sighed. "Even more."

"Good," he mumbled into her neck as he moved to the other side.

"I have to admit, though, that all day long I've been thinking about this moment. I've waited all week to have you all to myself and I have a whole week of kissing and tasting to make up for." He ran his tongue up her neck to make his point. Bella moaned and shifted her head to the side to give him better access.

"Mmmmmm," he moaned as he lapped at her neck again before suckling on her ear lobe. "You taste even better than I remember, Mrs. Cullen."

She sighed and reached up to grab Edward's head. Tipping up on her toes, she captured his earlobe between her teeth and nibbled. "My turn, Mr. Cullen," she replied, her voice deep and raspy with her own pent up desires.

They slowly undressed each other in the privacy of the lounge, caressing and tasting as they went. As the dress finally fell to Bella's feet along with her fluffy underskirts, Edward growled. He knelt down in front of her, running his fingers along the slivers of flesh exposed between the white satin corset that covered her breasts and much of her stomach and the tantalizingly tiny matching underwear below. He looked up at her through his lashes before teasing the bared skin with feather light kisses while his hands ran up and down the outsides of her thighs and over her deliciously bare ass. Sliding higher his fingers slid along the edge of the thong back and a finger twisted in the fabric tugging back and forth slightly to tease her sex with the material that covered it.

Bella moaned, her hands fisting Edward's hair as his lips trailed down over the silk to kiss and moisten the fabric along her slit before he tugged again to rasp it against her flesh. He smiled at Bella's wanton moan before using his finger to tug the tiny scrap of material down out of his way, giving him full access to his deliciously bare and dripping wife. The thought of the goddess before him being his and only his for as long as they lived shot straight to his already straining cock, making his moan. Grabbing her ass in both hands and licked her slit with one long, strong stroke before attacking her clit voraciously, anxious to hear her moan his name and melt with her pleasure for the first of many times that evening.

After several long, loud seconds, he took one of her legs and lifted it over his shoulder to give him better access and began slipping his tongue inside her as he circled her clit with his finger before switching places so he could suck her excited bundle while plunging two fingers deep inside her. He could tell she was close. He curled his fingers and tapped where he knew would have most effect, and held her up as her climax stole her strength and left her screaming and writhing against him.

His smug smile greeted her as she slid down his body into his lap, her entire body limp as a rag doll. He kissed her lips softly as she mumbled words of thanks and sat there enjoying how he could please her and leave her so spent with nothing more than his fingers and mouth. He so looked forward to the next time when he would be deep inside her when she reached heaven and took him with her.

It wasn't long before he felt her lips begin to move against his skin, kissing and sucking at his neck and shoulder, then his chest. He felt her hands skating down his chest until they reached his very excited cock. He let her play with him for a few minutes before he took her hand away and got up, lifting her with him.

"Not here, my beautiful bride. Let's spend the rest of the night enjoying our comfy bed."

She sighed and rested against his chest as he carried her down the stairs to their stateroom, which was also filled with candle light. The bed was strewn with cream rose petals with a pink flush at the tips. He carried her over and laid her on the bed, picking up a soft petal and brushing it against her skin. When he reached her breasts, he teased the tops that pushed tantalizingly over the cups of the corset before lifting them free to expose her nipples. He kissed them softly before grazing the petals over them and blowing them with cool air. They pebbled even tighter until he couldn't stand it and laved them with his tongue once more. He continued to tease and taunt her with his mouth as his hands slipped behind to work at the hooked closure, longing to feel her soft, smooth skin beneath his hands. She sighed with relief when he succeeded and pulled off the confining garment, but her sigh morphed into a moan as his hands skimmed across the freshly freed flesh.

His hands explored her ribs and belly before skating down to find her lovely swollen folds, still dripping from her last orgasm and begging for more. She almost came off the bed as he stroked her and he decided that it was time to stop teasing and give her what she really wanted. His mouth moved up her body to claim her lips again as he sifted himself over her. Their bodies were so attuned to one another now that his cock always found her opening like a magnet drawn to its mate. Their bodies knew all along what took them so long to find out, they were two pieces of a whole that was always meant to unite, and that night they had finally made it official.

Pushing up on his hands, Edward stared down at Bella to see her utter love and devotion smiling back at him.

"Now nobody can ever argue that you're mine," he whispered as he gazed down at her.

Bella reached up and captured his face with her hands. "Yours," she whispered and then gasped as he pushed into her.

Their hearts thundered in unison as he slowly moved within her, and barely blinked, they couldn't bear to look away. It was like the final unification of their souls that bound them forever as a new entity. No longer just Edward. No longer just Bella. But rather the both of them together ready to face whatever came next. They weren't kids. They understood it would be hard and there would be times when it would be easier just to quit, but they also knew that they were stronger together…better together…and they would fight whatever came to stay that way.

Whispered words filled the air between gasps and moans and eventually their bodies pushed them to move faster and harder. They came together and fell apart within seconds of each other before collapsing together in the bed, both fully spent and completely whole. It would be the first of many, many times they would come together in their first two days of solitude before the honeymoon began, but none would be as significant in their hearts and minds than this.

Just before the drifted off to sleep, Edward rolled over and shifted so he was draped lightly across Bella and kissed a trail down her body before working back up to her lips.

"Welcome to forever," he whispered.

She smiled and ruffled his sex tossed hair.

"It's a lifelong sentence, counselor, but I think I'm up for the challenge."

He growled playfully before simultaneously attacking her lips with his and her ribs with his very knowledgeable fingers. She laughed hysterically under him as he tormented her, but it didn't take long for her to retaliate by capturing his still exposed manhood in her hand and squeezing just a bit too hard. She laughed as Edward froze and let go, his eyes begging for mercy. His dick, however, had more salacious ideas. She smiled devilishly as her hands slid softly along him, her thumb swiping over the head as she reached the top. His body stiffened and a tiny moan escaped him making her smile wider.

"My turn."

His eyes rolled into the back of his head as she slithered down his body to capture him in his mouth, thus beginning wedding night round two.


End file.
